An Interesting Development
by SerenAananai
Summary: Visiting her mother's grave to get away from her abusive stepfather, Liu Valentine has a surprising run in with none other than the infamous Jeff the Killer. After a bout of illness in which she cares for him against her better judgement, Jeff and Liu begin to develop a strange relationship, but will things go smoothly for these two? My first Fanfic. Be kind please.
1. Sorrows

It is an interesting development, as they say, when things change in a way you didn't expect. I didn't expect to be standing here again, in front of my mother's grave. I didn't have flowers this time, though. Just tears. I knelt in front of her headstone and hugged it.

"It happened again today, Mama…" I whispered into the marble. "He tried to throw out my dresses. He got mad when I locked the chest and the closet. He even tried to hit me again, but I ran away." I choked out a sob. It hasn't even been four months since my mother passed away, and my step-father has completely changed from the nice man my Mama fell in love with when I was younger. He became so cruel; constantly yelling at me, throwing insults at me and hitting me. It hurts so much. _Oh Mama_….

I sat in the cemetery for a long time. I shivered into my jacket; winter was coming fast, and though it was late October, there were already Snow Advisory warnings out. It was also getting dark. I knew Papa wouldn't be home tonight; he often spent his nights out at the bar. He has been drinking heavily since Mama died. I suppose it's one way to rid of your sorrows. He never drank when Mama was alive, and rarely ever yelled. He was sweet and patient with me and Mama over the years. He even entertained our hobby of buying and making plush animals. Mama loved them and so did I. She would even dress me up as a doll sometimes, which has turned me into the Lolita that I am today. That was the most recent topic of papa's anger: my dresses. He thinks that I should grow up and start dressing up like the twenty-two year old that I am and not like a child. I loved dressing this way, it made me and Mama so happy. I wasn't going to lose the last happy part of me that made up a big part of who I am.

I walked along the cemetery path. It was cold and quiet; the only sound that was heard were my boots against the stone path. I stopped after a few moments. It was a faint sound, but I heard the sound of sobbing coming from one of the graves. Curiosity getting the better of me, I followed the sound to a grave that was precariously placed underneath a willow tree on a small incline. When I reached the top of the incline, I saw a man kneeling in front of the grave. He was crouched over, his thin yet solid frame shook with each sob. He was wearing a grayish-white hoodie and faded black jeans. As I came closer I saw a near empty vodka bottle in his hand. _Another one trying to rid his sorrows_, I thought as I neared him. His sobbing hitched only for a moment, as if to acknowledge my presence, and then continued softly. I crouched next to him, keeping my knees together, since I was wearing a dress. I couldn't see his face; it was veiled by long lanky black hair. I looked at the headstone. It was partially covered in moss and I couldn't make out the whole name: …U WOODS. I looked back at the sobbing man, and felt a strange feeling that I knew him from somewhere. However, I can't imagine where from. I sighed softly and took my handkerchief out from my pocket. I held it out to the man, who didn't acknowledge it in the slightest. I pulled my hand back as I looked at the headstone again.

"…Was this person important to you?" I asked softly.

"Yes," He said with a deep, rough and raspy voice. The sound of it sent shivers throughout my body and made me feel so cold.

"It'll be okay," I said softly, almost more to myself than to the man. "My Mama used to tell me that the ones we love are never truly gone as long as they are remembered with love."

The man's sobbing slowly began to calm and turn into soft laughter. I shivered again.

"… That's a beautiful sentiment. Thank you..." he spoke softly. He was still laughing softly. It made me a little nervous, but he was drunk so I dismissed the feeling.

"Do you need a ride home? I'll be more than happy to give you a lift." I said, stifling a yawn behind my hand.

"Tired? Have you had trouble sleeping?" he asked, moving his hand into his hoodie pocket.

"Hm… yeah just a little bit. My nights have been rather…. Rough." I said, rubbing my neck. _ Why would he ask about something like that? _

"Well then, maybe you need to-" he said roughly, turning towards me brandishing a knife. "GO TO SLEEP!" My eyes widened in fear as I saw his face: extremely white skin littered with mildly puckered skin marks like old burns. His lips were red and he had a Chelsea smile carved into his cheeks, and his eyes were pale and ringed with black circles. He smiled menacingly and drunkenly, and I could see his eyes were quickly becoming out of focus as the alcohol began to take its toll. He moved, perhaps a little too quickly, to slice me. I fell back onto my butt, dodging him. Unfortunately, he fell forward as I fell back, his face and upper body landing on my breasts and torso.

I sat there in complete and utter shock while this man, this murderer, laid on me in an unconscious drunken stupor. _ Oh my god! _ I thought fervently. _ This is the man who's been behind the recent murders in town! I've read about him in the news and the stories online… he's the notorious "Jeff the Killer" everyone has been talking about!_ I looked down at the drunken murderer who was sleeping on my lap. He looked so vulnerable. And in so much pain. What am I going to do?

"Hey," I said softly, propping him up a little. He groaned in response. _Well, he's still alive._ I carefully got us both up, laying his arm around my shoulder and wrapped my arm around his waist. He leaned on me heavily, his upper body drooping over on my shoulders. I was mildly surprised by how much taller he is compared to me. My head seemed to reach the middle of his chest. He must just be about a foot or so taller than me. I dragged him to my car quickly, thankful that it was getting dark and the street was empty. I took my keys out of my jacket pocket, unlocked my Kia Soul, and threw him into the back of my car.


	2. Decision

I've been sitting in my car for the last 30 minutes, smoking a wood-tipped flavored cigar in silence, except for the sound of soft groans coming from my back seat. Smoking was a bad habit and completely out of character for a Lolita, but I didn't care. I was harboring a murderer in my car.

I took in a deep drag as I stared out the passenger window at the precinct across the street. I held in the sweetened smoke and closed my eyes to meditate on my thoughts. _On one hand, I could turn him in. A no brainer right? Get this psychopathic killer out of the public and save a bunch of people's lives. But…_ I looked over to Jeff. He was laying faced down on my backseat, in case he vomited in my car. I didn't want him to choke and drown, then I'd be the one in trouble, despite having let a mass murderer die. He was still unconscious. I had pulled his hood up to cover his face in case anyone decided to stop me or look into the car. I closed my eyes again. _…on the other hand, something doesn't feel right about turning him in like this. I remember the stories my dad told me about what happened in prison before he died. It gets really violent in there, and the cops would beat up other prisoners and taser and mace them for no reason… but that's not what it is. Hell, it'd be just what he deserves…. It just doesn't feel right for some reason._

"Crap," I exhaled and leaned my head on the steering wheel, running my hand through my hair. I banged my head against the wheel gently for a few minutes before I stubbed out my cigar in the ash tray and started up my car. I cracked open my window to let out some of the smoke and flicked the wooden stub out the window.

"I must be out of my mind." I muttered to myself as I pulled out of my spot and drove down the street. I watched in my rearview mirror as the precinct grew smaller and smaller as I drove farther away.

After about fifteen minutes I pulled into the driveway of my home. All the windows were dark. "Thank goodness…" I sighed. My stepdad wasn't home, so sneaking Jeff in wouldn't be a problem. I parked my car and turned to look at Jeff. He had turned onto his side facing me, a grimace on his face like he was feeling discomfort. _Probably from all the alcohol he drank._ I thought as I got out of my car. I opened the backseat door and straightened out his legs, turning him over onto his back. Then leaning over him, I grabbed both of his arms and pulled him into an upright position, which wasn't easy because he was completely deadweight. And I wasn't very strong; but I had managed somehow to pull him out of my car. He was still in a stupor, and just conscious enough to prop him up and walk him to my front door without having to drag him. I opened the front door and took him inside. I sat him on the staircase that led up to the bed rooms and bathroom as I shut and locked my front door, scolding my step father silently for leaving it unlocked again. I took off my jacket and hung it on the coat rack by the door.

I heard a coughing sound and turned around fast. Jeff was leaning on the stair railing, coughing and retching.

"Uh oh…" I ran down the hall to the kitchen and grabbed the mop bucket. I ran back and held the bucket in front of Jeff's face at the nick of time as he vomited heavily into it. I gagged and looked away from the bucket, trying not to breathe too deeply. I patted his back softly as he coughed up semi digested remnants. When he finished, I wiped his lips with my handkerchief gently and took the bucket that was now a third of the way full, to the first floor bathroom. I wrinkled my nose and dumped the contents into the toilet, flushing about three times. I rinsed out the bucket and looped it around my arm as I made my way back.

He stirred a little as I pulled and propped him up. "Okay, we're almost there," I said to him soothingly. "Just a few steps and we'll get you into bed and clean you up." Even though there were about fifteen steps in total, I managed to drag him up the staircase. By the time I had reached the last stair, I was sweating. He was really heavy for a skinny guy!

"Holy cow!" I gasped as I took a moment to gather my strength and keep Jeff from falling over. Unfortunately, he leaned a little too far to the left and slipped from my grip, falling to the floor. I managed to grab him by his sweater, holding him up for a moment, but it tore and sent him sprawling. "Dammit!" I bent down and turned him over. Grabbing his arms, I dragged him into my bed room.

I can't tell you how I managed to pull him onto my bed, but I did it. I sat down on the bed to catch my breath. _ Okay, hard part's over. But… he smells, and his clothes are filthy._ I looked at him. He was now wearing a dirty tank top, his arms and chest littered with old burn scars, along with what looks like healed bullet wounds and cuts. His breathing was ragged and there was a thin sheen of sweat coating his face. I gently placed my hand of his cheek. He was burning up.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me…." I sighed. I got up and grabbed my corded Hello Kitty phone, and tuned the dial wheel. There was only one person I know that can help me right now.

"Hello, you've reached the offices of Dr. Greenly, Dr. Ashton and Dr. Valentine. My name is Melissa, how may I help you?" said a cheery voice on the other end of the call. I cleared my throat.

"Hi Melissa, its Liu, is Gwyn there?" I said calmly.


	3. Care

I sat on the edge of the stairs, waiting for Gwyn to knock on the door at any moment. My hair is still dripping wet from my hastily taken shower, dampening my black cotton and lace camisole. I rubbed the soft fuzzy texture of my pink panda printed pajama pants and though about what Gwyn said and what happened earlier…

"Hello, this is Dr. Valentine-"Said a tired female voice. I quickly cut her off.

"Gwyn it's me. I need-" but a high pitched squeal cut me off. I held the phone away from my ear as I clearly heard her voice from the earpiece.

"Liiiiuuuuuuuuuuuiiieee! My little Liuie! How's my favorite niece doing? I haven't spoken to you since your mom died! How is everything sugarplum?" she was so excited to hear from me. She's my mom's baby sister and is closer to my age, at barely thirty. She's the only one I can trust right now, although now I think that it might have been a bad idea to call her.

"Gwyn, listen, I'd love to talk and catch up, but I need your help."

"What's wrong Liu?" her voice sobered into her "serious doctor" mode as she calls it. It didn't help my nerves any. I absentmindedly held Jeff's hand and rubbed the back of his hand with my thumb. Even his hand felt feverishly hot.

"I have this... uh… "friend" who kind of drank a little too much and is completely out of it. He's feverish and unresponsive, and I'm not sure if he's dehydrated or if it's alcohol poisoning. He already vomited pretty heavily, but I have yet to see any blood." Jeff groaned softly and I gently squeezed his hand.

"Hm…" Gwyn was silent for a moment, and all I could hear were background voices and movement. I heard a rustling and then she spoke up "Alright kiddo, I have an I.V and a few hypotonic saline solution bags, which should help if he's dehydrated. Now I'll need to take a blood sample to see if he has alcohol poisoning. But it just sounds like he has the flu and just some mild dehydration from the alcohol. Try to get him to drink some water and watch if he vomits again. If there's any blood, call me immediately. I can't leave the office for another hour, lucky me to have an office that stays open late." She chuckled.

"Thanks Gwyn. I really appreciate it… and I would like it if we kept this between us, okay?" I said, biting my lip. I heard her sigh.

"What did you get yourself into, Liu?" she said. I chucked.

"I'll explain it to you when you get here… don't worry, I'm alright."

"Okay... I'll… see you later kiddo." She sounded uncertain, and it made me feel sick.

"Yeah… later." I hung up the phone.

_What DID I get myself into?_ I sighed as I held a basin of cold water. I sat next to Jeff and wiped some of the sweat away with a cool damp rag. I wiped his eyelids gently. I smiled softly. I remember reading online rumors about this killer, how he got his burns and his smile. There were even rumors that he burned his eyelids off so he can never sleep. I knew that part was bogus. If he had done that, he would've become blind and would be incapable of being the notorious murderer that he is. I frowned slightly. I really didn't feel right about getting Gwyn involved, but she was the only person I could trust to keep a secret, no matter what it is. Heck, she'd be the person I'd call to hide a dead body. Hopefully I wouldn't have to worry about having to do that.

I wiped the sweat away from his upper lip, and he stirred slightly. I dipped my fingertips into the cool water and gently traced them on to his lips; they were so dry and chapped. He moaned as his eyelids fluttered open slightly. I froze, shocked. He looked at me with unfocused eyes, and I relaxed slightly. He wasn't conscious, not really. I traced the droplets of water on my fingertips on his lips. He parted his lips slightly, welcoming the moisture. I dipped my fingers back into the water and continued to trace his lips. I had a bottle of water on my nightstand in case I was able to coax him into drinking some water. _Baby steps_, I thought as I continued to moisten his lips. After a few moments, he coughed dryly and spoke softly, his voice raspy.

"Am… I dead?" I looked at him, shocked. I pulled my hand away.

"N-no…." I stammered softly. My heart was pounding. I dampened and wrung out the rag and gently wiped his cheek and neck. He was silent for a moment as I cleaned his face and neck. He tensed as I carefully cleaned his neck and collarbone. His eyes, which were closed for the moment opened slightly again. I smiled softly.

"Don't worry Jeff, you're safe here. Just get some rest." I said soothingly. I took the bottle from my night table and held it to his lips. I propped up his head so that it would be easier for him to drink, but he turned his head away. I turned his head gently and tried to feed him some water. But again he turned his head away.

"….stop…." he sighed. I opened my mouth to scold him, but his eyes closed and fell limp in my arms. I put down the bottle and sighed exasperatedly. I was starting to lose my temper. My dress was filthy, and I was tired. And to top it all off, I had to clean this guy before his stinks up my bed.

I went into the hallway towards my stepbrother's room. He wasn't here at the moment, seeing as how he was "on tour" with his garage band. I haven't seen him in over a year, but his room hasn't been touched. It was still an amazing mess that he left it in, just dustier and with a musty, moldy odor. I walked up to his dresser and opened the bottom drawer. Some of Arlen's old clothes were still in there, and they were about the right size for Jeff. I grabbed a pair of basketball shorts and a clean t-shirt from the drawer. I smelled them; they had a faint smell of pot on them, but otherwise they were clean. I closed the drawer and left the room. Upon leaving, I decided to get some sutures and medical tape to cover his carved smile. Didn't want to give Gwyn a heart attack, plus concealing Jeff's most prominent identifying feature would keep him safe, for now.

After refilling the basin with warm water, I pushed up my sleeves and, with some effort, pulled Jeff up into a somewhat sitting position, leaning him up against my headboard. Once I was sure he wasn't going to fall over, I carefully peeled off his damp tank top and gasped softly. His torso was littered with deep scars. I blushed as I looked over his thin but extremely toned body at all of the deep scars, bullet wound scars and old cigarette burns. I gently touched a bullet wound scar that was just above his heart. _This is so…. Brutal. All these scars… all the injuries, how can he still be walking around? A lot of these look like they were fatally inflicted. He's one lucky son of a gun._ I bit my lip, soaked and wrung out the washcloth and began to clean his face and chest.

His upper body was the easiest part of him to clean. I put on my stepbrother's _Bullet for my Valentine_ t-shirt on him. Which fit a bit loosely on him but it was clean and a bit warmer than his tank top, which was drenched in sweat, dirty, torn and stained. I looked down at his pants and frowned. THIS was going to hard part.

"Well, time to get this over with…" I sighed as I began to untie his sneakers. They didn't smell as bad as I anticipated, although I'd still put a few tea bags into them and place them onto my balcony to air out after I finished cleaning him up. I dragged him back into a laying position and climbed onto the bed. I placed myself between his legs and placed his knees onto my shoulders. I grunted as I lifted his lower body slowly and carefully to unbutton and removed his jeans. They were muddy and torn. I blushed deeply and looked away from him as I lowered his legs. _ Why do guys insist on going commando? _ I thought, quickly grabbing the washcloth and rubbed down his legs, now even going anywhere near his hip area, and putting on the basketball shorts as fast as I could manage. I put his legs down and got off the bed. I looked away from him and rubbed my face, completely embarrassed. I had to admit, I wasn't used to seeing naked guys outside of my art classes. Even though I have been desensitized of the nude human form, I felt really embarrassed to see Jeff's… private areas.

I shook my head and turned around. He was clean and dressed in clean, warm clothes. I placed the sutures on his cheeks and taped them carefully. I looked at the clock. Gwyn would be here in twenty minutes. I grabbed a camisole and a pair of pajama pants and headed to my bathroom. I took one last look at Jeff; he was breathing kind of heavily and a light sheen of sweat was developing again on his forehead.

I jumped at the sound of the doorbell, pulling me out of my stupor. I got up quickly and opened my front door to see my aunt Gwyn standing with a gym bag over her shoulder, smiling at me.

"Hey there Liuie."


	4. Gwyn & 'Liu'

"…so make sure to change the bag whenever it empties out, and be careful not to pull out the I.V. I'll check this sample at the lab tomorrow, but from what I can tell I don't think he has alcohol poisoning…" Gwyn said. She spent the last twenty minutes examining Jeff. It still amazes me that my aunt, with her pretty, short curly chestnut hair, pale complexion, and youthful disposition, became an accomplished doctor so young. I remember when mom told me stories about grandma and how she groomed my mom and my aunts to become models. She had an obsession with girls being beautiful and complacent to their potential future husbands. Not that my grandmother was sexist, just stuck in her old ways. Gwyn is beautiful enough to have become a model, but chose to help people instead. I am so proud of her.

"Hey?" She said, shining her small examination light in my eyes. I flinched and looked at her.

"What?!" I said. She looked at me.

"I was talking to you kiddo; I was asking you about what happened to his face. Are you all right?" she said. She had an eyebrow raised at me, and I could tell she was worried.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired is all." I mumbled as I rubbed my eyes. "And I don't know what happened to his face…. I think it was an accident." I looked down. From the rumors I've heard, that statement wasn't entirely a lie.

Gwyn poked at the sutures. "And these?"

I shrugged. "Scrapes. I already cleaned them and bandaged them up like that 'cause I didn't have any large band aids." I looked at Jeff instead of meeting her eyes. I didn't like to lie to her.

She looked at Jeff, holding his wrist to check his pulse for a second time. "…um, Liu? What happened to his forehead?" I looked at Jeff's forehead and blushed. There was a bruise like lump forming.

"I, uh, well…. I dropped him when I was carrying him up the stairs." I mumbled as Gwyn burst into laughter. I blushed even more.

"It's not funny!"

"The hell it's not! Oh my gawd!" she laughed. "I can just imagine your face when it happened! It's comical! Hilarious! Hahahahaha!" she wiped a tear out of her eye.

I grabbed my heart shaped accent pillow off of my rocking chair in the corner of the room and started hitting her with it. "Meanie! Mean, mean, mean meanie!" she laughed even harder as she covered her face.

A low, growl-like groan sobered us and I stopped immediately. We looked over at Jeff; his eyes slightly open and he had a look of both annoyance and discomfort on his face, which faded a bit the moment we quieted. His breathing had become a bit more even, but he still was sweating. I put my pillow down and sat on the bed next to him. I touched his forehead, which was clammy and feverish. He closed his eyes as I wrung out the washcloth that was soaking in a basin of cold water and gently placed it on his forehead.

"Sorry…" I said quietly. I looked at Gwyn, who was biting her lip in thought. She then took out a sterile syringe, unwrapped, prepped it and injected it into his I.V. I looked at the wrapper of the syringe. A mild sedative.

"Liuie, make sure to keep an eye on him for the next couple of days. It seems that he has the flu, and a bad case of it at that. Keep him warm and when he wakes, try to feed him something neutral and easy to digest. Oatmeal and farina would be good, and I can get Mei's recipe for Jok, that rice porridge that you liked the last time you got sick." I smiled.

"I'd like that. How has Aunt Mei been doing lately?" Mei was Gwyn's Chinese-American girlfriend of ten years. I loved her as much as I did Gwyn, and have been calling her "Aunt Mei" for as long as I've known her. Gwyn smiled.

"She's great. She came back from Hong Kong on Thursday. She was visiting her grandparents. She brought back some souvenirs for me to give to you next time you either come over or I see you. I think you should come over though, because she hasn't seen you in a while." Gwyn stood up and started packing up her things.

"Hey, what happens if I run out of bags? Or if he doesn't need them anymore?" I asked, handing her jacket to her.

"I left you at least six bags, seven counting this one being used, to last you for the weekend. If you leave it on a slow drip they'll last longer. I'll come back on Sunday evening when Robert isn't home to check up on you two. Come walk me out." Gwyn said, shrugging on her jacket. I looked at the saline bag hanging on the hook above my bed. I wrapped my robe around me and followed her out of the room.

Gwyn grabbed her purse that was hanging off the coat rack by the front door.

"Y'know, I know you have a good heart and mean well, but this kid… I want you to keep an eye on him. Something doesn't feel right about him. The second he's well enough to move, send him on his way. Take him to the hospital if anything." The concern in my aunt's voice made me feel guilty and uncomfortable of my choice of taking Jeff in; but when I think about Jeff in jail, or in a padded cell, something deep inside of me was completely opposed and even sickened by the notion.

"I know. But I'll be okay. I promise." I held out my pinky and we hooked our pinkies in a pinky promise.

"Good. And not for nothing, if you look pass all the burns and scars and stuff, that Jeff kid is a pretty hot guy." She smirked and winked at me.

"Gwyn!" I said, embarrassed.

"What? Just because I'm a lesbian doesn't mean I can't appreciate a hot guy. Plus from what I saw, he's also pretty well-endowed."

"Gwyn! Ohmygosh!" I nearly shouted as I blushed, mortified. She laughed as I covered my face.

"Oh relax kiddo, you're twenty two years old. It's about time you found someone. Preferably not him though." She giggled. I shook my head. She gave me a big hug and kissed my forehead.

"Be good. Call me if anything happens okay?" I nodded.

"'Kay Gwyn, I'll see you later." She waved at me as she walked to her car. I locked the front door after she drove out of my drive way.

I leaned my head against the door for a while. I felt oddly relieved that Jeff didn't have alcohol poisoning, but to have the flu was just as bad. I was lucky enough to get myself immunized a month previous so I won't be able to catch his illness as easily. Plus, while he's asleep, I can wash his clothes and fix his sweater. I walked up the stairs reentered my room. Jeff was sleeping, his breathing evened out now that he was getting some hydration. I carefully pulled the sutures off of his cheeks, thankful I used very little medical tape. He didn't stir, thanks to the sedative he was given. I brushed some of his hair out of his face and just looked at him. My aunt was right; despite the scars, Jeff was actually kind of handsome. Kind of makes me wonder what kind of person he would've been if he didn't become a homicidal psychopath. _Probably a real lady killer_. I snorted and bit my lip from laughing out loud at my really corny joke as I picked up the laundry basket with Jeff's clothing and walked downstairs to the basement.

I opened the slanted door that's under the staircase, flipped the light switch and walked down the stairs to the basement. The basement also doubles as a small game room with a large, sixty five inch flat screen television, several different consoles, a leather sofa, a coffee table, and a pool table with a cue stand in the corner. A wall separated the game room and the laundry room, where there were a washer and a dryer and a table against the separating for folding the clean clothes. I placed the basket on the table and opened the washer door. I put the water setting on warm and threw in his tank top and sweater. I checked the pockets of his jeans. Other than some shreds of paper towel, a slightly crushed pack of cigarettes, a Swiss army knife, and what feels like an old folded photograph, there weren't really anything of great value in his pocket. I threw his jeans into the wash, poured in some detergent and set everything to wash.

I swept up the paper towel shreds and threw them into the waste basket next to the table. I opened the cigarette pack; it was half full. I set the pack next to the Swiss army knife and picked up the folded photograph. On the corner of the square, small feminine handwriting caught my eye:

_"__Jeffery and Liu's 13__th__\- 2003"_

"Jeffery and _who?!_" I said in a mild panic as I unfolded the picture carefully. I sighed as I saw the photo of two young identical twin boys, one wearing a party hat at a jaunty angle, a _Star Wars_ t-shirt and blue jeans, with short brown hair that was a bit messy. The other boy had slightly longer hair, wearing a classic _X-men_ comic t-shirt and cargo shorts. He had a kind of hesitantly shy smile on his face while the short haired one had a huge grin. They were standing in a kind of living room, next to a table that had half opened gifts and cake on it. There were even some balloons in the background.

It was Jeff's birthday in this picture. I've read the stories in the news, about him having a twin... About him _killing_ his entire family including…

"Oh god…" I whispered. I thought back to earlier in the cemetery. The grave he was crying in front of…

"Liu Woods… his brother's grave."


	5. Itch & Repair

I stared at the photo for a long time, my mind completely blank. I jumped and snapped out of my shock when the washer's timer went off.

"Geez!" I exclaimed, turning around and shutting off the washer. I opened the washer and threw the clothes into the dryer and set the heat to medium. I turned back to examine the photo. I didn't know that Jeff's brother's name was the same as mine. I could tell Jeff and Liu apart almost instantly. Liu was the one with the party hat. They were both really cute kids. I flipped the photo over to look at the date again. 2003. I was eleven in two-thousand-three, so I guess Jeff is two years older than me. I looked at Jeff in the photo. It was amazing to see him in his youth, before the scars. I could almost imagine what he would look like if he hadn't gone all psycho bonkers crazy. I felt my hand itch. My familiar artistic itch that has inspired me to attend an art college for the last year and a half. Looking at this photo of Jeff and his brother was giving me one heck of an itch. I could almost see it, like it was right in front of me. A normal Jeff. I shivered in anticipation and nervousness. Damn my creative impulses. And my curiosity. I wanted to know more about Jeff's past. To see why he is the way he is… I want to know. But not right now. Right now, I have a sick killer in my bed to watch over. I felt my stomach growl and smirked. _And a hungry stomach to feed. _

Knowing I'd be able to hear the dryer's alarm go off from the kitchen if I left the door open, I went into the kitchen. I opened my stainless steel refrigerator and looked around. Other than some cans of beer, a jar of almond butter, an onion, some wilted celery, and a half full jar of kosher pickles, it was pretty empty. I sighed and pulled out the jar of almond butter. I opened up the stained oak cabinets over the steel sink, grabbed a plate and a glass and placed them on the counter of the island in the middle of the kitchen. I took out some wheat bread from the bread box on the counter next to the sink and strawberry jam from the pantry that was next to the counter. I placed everything on the counter and went to the drawers next to the stove that was directly across from the sink to get a butter knife. I dusted the counter a little and looked out of the window that looked out into the front yard. The street lamps were on already, even though it was just past twilight. A few neighbors passed by either jogging or walking their dog. I sighed and felt a presence with me in the kitchen. Grabbing my butter knife, I turned quickly, flourishing it, only to see my grey Maine Coon cat sitting on the stool next to the counter.

"Scrappy! You scared me you little ninja, you!" I sighed as I scratched behind his year. At only two years old, Scrappy was a big cat, weighing fifteen pounds and his head level with my knee. He purred and mewled, looking at me with big blue eyes.

"You're hungry too, huh?" I smiled. He jumped off the counter and sat in front of his food bowl in the corner of the kitchen next to the dividing wall that split the kitchen and living room. I put the butter knife next to my plate on the island and went to feed my kitty.

Taking a can of cat food out of the pantry, I started to think again. _What's going to happen once Jeff gets better? Will he kill me? I know he'll probably go out and kill other people._ I bit my lip as I emptied the can into Scrappy's food bowl. _ I'm starting to think that I made the wrong choice…. Maybe I should have turned Jeff in. He would have gotten medical attention…. But… they would beat him up first; that, I know will happen. They would probably then execute him… or worse, lock him in an asylum. To be trapped in a padded room somewhere… _ I rubbed the closing, claustrophobic feeling in my throat. That fate would kill him in ways lethal chemical injections and high doses of electricity couldn't.

I stroked Scrappy's back as he started eating and a blinking red light caught my eye from the living room. "A message?" I said as I stood up and went to the telephone. I pressed the button and listened to the automated message and the deep voice that followed.

"You have one new message. New message: 'Hey… pops? Chibi? Anyone home? It's uh, me. Anyways, my tour's about over and I'll be comin' home sometime in the week, probably around Wednesday or somthin'… just wanted to let ya'll know. See ya.'" I sighed. My step brother, Arlen, is coming home. _Great…_ I love my step brother, I do… but as a pothead and a high school dropout, he wasn't up to do much, leaving me to do a lot of the chores and deal with dad alone. And I wasn't entirely too happy with him either. He never came to mom's funeral, or even called to check on us or grieve with us. I called his phone and sent him letters and he never called back or answered my letters. So I wasn't exactly enthusiastic about seeing him again. I deleted the message and went back into the kitchen to make my sandwich.

I sat at my desk, picking at my half eaten sandwich and writing a paper on my laptop for my Art History class. I periodically glanced at Jeff, who was now sleeping peacefully. It's been an hour since Gwyn came to check on Jeff, and I was bored. I looked back at my computer screen, sighed and saved my work. I'll have to do it tomorrow, when I have the attention span for it. I ate the last of my neglected sandwich and soymilk and rolled my computer chair over to the rocking chair that was across the room where Jeff's now clean clothes were sitting all folded up. I picked up his sweater and examined the tear. It was a pretty bad tear; the pull-over was torn in a nearly perfect line from the neck line to the pocket. I rolled back to my desk and looked through a small basket of spare cloth and sewing supplies. _ Hmm… I guess I don't have an extra zipper…._ I bit my lip. I'll have to go to the craft store tomorrow to buy a new zipper to sew onto the tear. What I did do was lay out the sweater evenly, take out a pair of scissors and some pins and pinned the tear and pockets down on either side so I had two rows of pins going from the torn neckline straight down to the bottom hem. Then I carefully cut between the row of pins so that I had a straight cut from the tear down to the untorn hem. I only cut the front of the sweater, so that I can sew a zipper into it. I inspected the material of the sweater; it was worn and thin. I made a mental note to buy some extra material to reinforce the sweater. After taking some measurements, I set the sweater aside and went to get his jeans.

"Geez…" I murmured as I inspected his jeans. There were worn spots in the crotch and thighs, tears along the legs and the hems were frayed. I poked my finger through one of the holes in his jeans and took out of my basket some denim patches, a spool of strong black thread and a needle. I felt my hand itch again and smirked. It was time for a repair job.


	6. Anniversary Haze

_I've always hated this time of year… not only 'cause it's cold. I can't fucking stand the cold. No… it wasn't cause of the stupid fucking cold… it was just that time of year again. Our special… anniversary. I inhaled the minty smoke of the cigarette I stole from my last victim's house. He had a shit ton of them, at least three cartons. I took them, some canned food, some beef jerky and granola bars, and the mega bottle of vodka I currently have in my sweater pocket. It was pretty much full, and I was itching to have some. But not yet. Not until tomorrow. That's when it starts; the anniversary. For three days, I "celebrate". One day for each of them. That's the least I could do, after all I loved them; they were my family._

_I walked along the dark street to the cemetery. I kept my hood up and my head down. I smelled the bouquet of flowers I had gotten from a greengrocer a few streets away. It would be the only time I'd pay for something instead of stealing it; however I just left the money in place of where the flowers were. No reason to draw attention to myself right now. It's a grieving period, it should be respected. That much I knew. I've never been to any funerals, nor did I ever plan to, but I knew that you cried and leave flowers for the person every once and a while. _

_I wasn't anticipating the anniversary. It was always... unpleasant. In a haze… always reliving every single moment, every single motion, and every scream. I feel the joy, the madness surge through me once again as I see my mother and father's faces. I feel the fear and betrayal in my brother's flesh as I held his mouth with one hand and slit is abdomen from sternum to hip. I tasted his blood and tears. I felt my own fall when my insanity ebbed ever so slightly… I wished I had kept Liu alive. I've always regretted Liu's death…. But it was also the sweetest of all my killings. My perfect brother…. I loved him… I hated him…. All these feelings come back to me in a haze. _

_I was getting closer to the cemetery now; just a block away. It was quiet; dead quiet. Pun intended. The only audible noise that could be heard were the leaves being rustled by the wind, and perhaps a faint melody coming from one of the neighboring houses around the area. It was a nice, quiet melody, almost a phantom in the wind. I liked it…. I assume it was a piano. I tapped the ash off of my cigarette and inhaled it again, lifting my head. Who would see me? No one would care about a late night mourner. Not that I cared if anyone did see me. It was just a pain in the ass to travel anywhere incognito. I may be insane, but I'm not stupid. I knew it was safer to travel under the radar that showing off my pretty face. I leaned against the gate of the cemetery entrance to finish off my cigarette._

_I rubbed my temples and closed my eyes. My head was throbbing again. As of late, I haven't been feeling like myself. I've been more tired... and I haven't eaten anything in days. Not that that's anything new… but it's less than normal. My last victim took a bit more effort than normal as well. He wasn't a large guy… but hell, I felt like there was more of a struggle than usual. Not that he hurt me. Nothing really hurts me anymore. "Well…" I rubbed an old scar on my chest. "Not 'nothing.'" I muttered to myself. I opened my eyes slowly. They felt so sensitive to lights lately… even street lamps. I flicked my cigarette butt into the street and ducked into the gap between locked gates. "Fuck me, if I get sick…" I growled as I walked the stone path slowly. _

_That's what it felt like. Like I'm getting sick. I haven't been sick since I was a kid. But the feeling is familiar. An onset of a cold or something. Shit. It better not be. It must just be exhaustion or something. I have done a lot of traveling lately, and not much sleeping. Maybe that's what it is. I walked slowly down the familiar path of the cemetery. I was just biding my time now. After all, the "anniversary" doesn't start until midnight. I looked at my watch. It was eleven-thirty. I nonchalantly weaved my way through some headstones, looking at the faded names and crumbling marble and stone. One in particular, a bit away from my intended destination, caught my eye. It looked relatively new, pretty black and white marble, with 3D carved roses around the name. It was an elegant piece of work. The name was even still legible: "Armella Valentine, Loving Wife and Mother." I read aloud. Huh, it seems she died only a few months ago. "Oh well, what a shame… a lovely name though. I wish I had the honor of delivering her to her grave myself." I sighed as I walked to my parents' grave. A beeping sound broke my train of thought as I knelt down to lay the flowers in front mom's headstone. I looked at my watch. Midnight. I lifted the bottle from my sweater pocket, careful not to let my knife fall out with it. I cracked open the cap and lifted it to my lips._

_ "__Let the haze begin. Happy anniversary mom." I said as I drank down the harsh, burning bitter liquid._

_)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(._

_ "'__Oh god, Jeffery! What are you doing?"_

_ "__You lied to me mommy, you said you liked me this way. You lied." _

_ "'__Jeffery… Jeffery no!'"_

_ "__LIARS!"_

_ "__Son, NO!"_

_Pressure…. Pain…. Warmth… blood…_

_Laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh…._

_Laughter…_

_LAUGHTER _

_FUCKING LIARS!_

_Hate…. HATE..._

_FUCK! NO MORE!_

_It's playtime…_

_ "__Liu… where are you?"_

_Warmth… fear…. Madness…pain…. Laughter._

_Tears…._

_ "…__..Liu….?... Bro?"_

_No…._

_Brother…?_

_Nonononononononononononononononononoonononononononononononononononoono_

_It… it was me…._

_GO TO SLEEP!_

_)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(._

_My eyes shot open as I sat up quick. I felt the bitter taste of bile rise instantly, but I held it back as I took in my surroundings. I was still in the cemetery... fuck. My head was pounding and my stomach was on fire. It felt so uncomfortable. I looked at my watch. Ten-thirty. I looked around. The sky was cloudy and gray, and the faint sounds of thunder rolling through the air. I could smell the rain coming. I took a deep breath and leaned against dad's grave. Mom and dad were buried together. Liu was buried under the willow tree a few feet away. Liu…. I rubbed my eyes. No more... I looked down at the bottle of vodka. It was a third of the way empty. I can't believe I drank that much. I uncapped the bottle and started to drink again, feeling a warm trailing wetness drip down my cheeks. I want to forget. Forget everything…. Even just for a little while._

_I fucking hate this time of year._


	7. Fever Haze

_I opened my eyes…. my face was wet._ _My hair was wet and covered in mud. It's a fucking pain that my hair is too long… but I hate cutting it. My sweater was drenched and sticking to my skin. I felt disgusting. With some effort I sat up and leaned against Liu's grave. Day three. Day fucking three. It's almost over. I felt wet and hot; even the willow tree couldn't shield me from the rain. It rained all day yesterday, and I just drank. My tongue was numb from just ingesting pure, undiluted vodka and smoking for two days. My stomach was on fire, my head throbbed and my eyes hurt. I couldn't focus them. Everything was blurry. _

_ "__Fuck… I feel like shit. Good thing you don't have to worry about shit like this anymore, right bro?" I said with a smirk to Liu's grave. I shivered when a wind blew through the trees. I was wet, cold and tired. I looked at his headstone. It was moss covered from the lack of sunlight due to the willow tree that towered over it. I sipped from the near empty bottle and pulled myself to my knees. I leaned my head against the headstone and started to sob. I couldn't hold it in anymore._

_ "__I Fucked up Liu. I fucked up so badly. I should have taken you with me… I don't know what I'm doing anymore…. I need you…. Call me a sissy I don't care… just… please… anything… Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit, SHIT!" I almost yelled. I just sat there and cried… I was thankful no one was around me. I was angry, and I wanted all these memories to stop. I don't want to go into the haze again. I hated the haze… the fog. The dreams. No more dreams._

_I don't know how long I've been sitting there… but a presence coming near me snapped me to attention. I felt something small and warm crouch near me. I pretended not to notice as I surreptitiously slipped my hand into my pocket and gripped my knife. The second I did, my head spun. I closed my eyes tightly for a moment to steady myself. I opened my eyes quickly as I felt a movement beside me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a relatively small hand hold out a blue handkerchief with white lace trim out to me. I didn't move. The hand withdrew. My breathing was hitched as I struggled to stay focused. I knew whoever this person was, they were still there. A light breeze passed by and I smelled perfume. It smelled like vanilla, lavender and roses. The smell was irritating and intoxicating; it made the silence heavy. It was getting harder to focus. Fuck._

_ "…__Was this person important to you?" her voice was light, and soft. It made me feel as if I were being swaddled in a warm, soft blanket. Safe. Secure. I closed my eyes again, unnerved. I've never felt this feeling before. _

_ "__Yes…" I managed to say. How fucked up was I? I've never had this feeling when I was drunk before. Only the pain, the burning. The haze. I didn't like this feeling…. But… then…. Why do I want more of it?_

_ "__It'll be okay, my Mama used to tell me that the ones we love are never truly gone as long as they are remembered with love." She spoke again… and again the feeling washed over me. Along with those words… it gave me some notion of comfort. And nervousness._

_I opened my eyes slowly. "…That's a beautiful sentiment…. Thank you…" I said quietly. I sincerely thought that… What in the hell was wrong with me? This…. girl, is seeing me at my weakest. I will not allow it! This little bitch has to die. She must…._

_I heard her speak again… I didn't understand her question. Things were getting blurry. Hazy. The haze. Not again. I had to make this quick. I looked at her through my hair. She yawned. Perfect._

_ "__Tired? Have you had trouble sleeping?" I said, pulling my knife out slowly. Movement was becoming difficult. The haze was coming in fast. I have to kill her now, before the darkness set in._

_ "__Hm… yeah just a little bit. My nights have been rather…. Rough." She said hesitantly. _

_ "__Well then maybe you need to GO TO SLEEP!" I turn to her quick and pulled out my knife. I hesitated for only a second. …She was…. Beautiful. Greenish/hazel eyes, pale skin, heart shaped face, long mousy brown hair and a brown pea coat over a peach dress… the last thing I saw before everything went black._

_)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(__._

_It was the rumbling from beneath me that first aroused me…. Then the smell of exhaust…. Was I inside of a car? …ugh the vibrations…. I struggled to open my eyes. They felt so heavy…. I can't open them… dammit… wait… what is that sweet smell…? _

_)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(__._

_It was the feeling of having my arms pulled that aroused me again…. When did I fall asleep again? I felt my head touch something soft and sweet smelling…. Like roses, vanilla and lavender… the smell…. God that smell… I feel… so calm… was I standing?... oh, shit… well it looks like I'm moving… warmth? Am I sitting…? Oh god my stomach…. It's on fire… fuck! Oh fuck! … I can't… I can't hold it back! _

_Coughing…_

_Retching…._

_Pain…_

_Fire…._

_Shit! Shit shit shit!_

_…__. Who was rubbing my back? _

_)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(._

_It's cold… and hot… I'm thirsty… my head hurts… am I dying? I feel softness around me… and that sweet smell again…. I think I'm dying…. Fuck me… I wonder if hell has a special place for me…_

_Wait? Coldness? Something cold is touching me…. It feels so good... something is touching me… it's warm… I feel… a wetness on my lips… water! …but, it's warm… _

_I opened my eyes…. everything was so blurry…. Her. It was her…. was she an angel? ...is she going to take me to hell?_

_ "__Am… I dead?" was that my voice?_

_ "__N-no…" she pulled her hand away… please bring it back…._

_Instead, more coldness… it was a cloth… she was cleaning my face…. No, don't touch my neck…. _

_ "__Don't worry Jeff, you're safe here. Just get some rest." I wasn't dead… I was alive…. fuck. …how did she know my name? Who is this girl? She lifted my head and held a water bottle to my lips. I turned my head away…. She should just let me die. She kept trying to give me water… I was getting pissed. _

_ "…__stop." I muttered… I closed my eyes again… I can't stand to fucking look at her._

_)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(._

_It was a pressure pain in my arm that woke me…. Can't I just be left alone? Then a loudness from two voices… it was annoying… god fucking dammit! I wanted to yell…. But only some kind of sound came out of my mouth… I opened my eyes… a tube was coming out of my arm… and I saw her again. Her cheeks were pink, and she was sitting on the bed next to me… there was another woman there… a doctor? Shit…_

_I felt a coolness on my forehead and a warmth on my hand…. It felt nice; the warmth…_

_ "__Sorry…" she said… don't be sorry…. Just kill me…._

_It was getting dark again…. Not the haze…. Fuck…_

_Don't be sorry….._


	8. I Can't Believe

It was the sunlight through the window that woke me. I sat up and rubbed my arm of that tingling, numb, pins and needles feeling from laying on it. I pulled the needle from my numb hand and put some pressure on the puncture… I fell asleep while sewing. I can't believe I fell asleep while sewing. I must have been tired. I looked over at my bed; Jeff was still asleep. _Good…._ He'll be able to heal properly. I stood up and opened my closet, looking though my clothes. I picked a long sleeve white button down shirt with a ruffled cravat and ruffled cuffs and a black high waist skirt with corset style embellishment from waist to hip. I took a white petticoat and white opaque tights out from my dresser, along with boy short-style bloomers and a clean bra. I took them into my bathroom to change.

After I changed into my clothes, styled my hair into high pigtails with small black satin and lace bow pins clipped to them, and took out a blood red and gray cameo rose brooch to pin to my cravat, I started to do my make-up. I looked at myself in the mirror and sighed, tracing the scar that was under my left eye. It was a long scar that started above my eyelid and ended on my cheek. The part that came under my eye to my cheek was more noticeable than the part above my eyelid. I hated this scar. It was ugly, and no matter how much make-up I use to cover it, I feel like the world can see it. It was my stepfather that gave this scar to me. I took some concealer and started to dab it heavily on my scar. Blot it out, along with the memories.

After I finished my make-up, a light even peach and silver eye make-up with rose blush and frosty pink lip gloss, I checked up on Jeff. He was still sweating. I gently took the cloth from his forehead and dampened it again. He stirred as I wiped his cheek; his eyes parting and focusing on me. I smiled softly and gently caressed his face with the cloth. I looked at his eyes. They were a striking icy blue, almost indistinguishable from the whites of his eyes, if not for the dark ring around his irises. He stared at me as I cleaned his face and I just sat there, not knowing what to say. I bit my lip.

"How are you feeling, Jeff?" I said softly after a while, dipping the cloth back into the basin and checking his I.V. It was almost empty. I stopped the drip and began to change the bag, feeling his eyes on me the entire time. He was making me nervous, and I tried to keep my hands from shaking.

"…Who are you?" he said hoarsely as I hung up the new bag. I took in a deep breath and looked at him.

"My name is Liu Valentine, and I'm here to take care of you. You have a bad fever; most likely influenza. You were also heavily drunk, which didn't help either. I brought you to my home and cleaned you up. Don't worry, you can stay here until you recover. I promise you, you'll be safe here." I brushed his hair out of his face. He grabbed my hand roughly, crushing my wrist in his grip. I winced.

"…Who the fuck do you think… you are…" he said, his voice dripping with anger and malice. "You have no god damn business to fucking interfere…. And I know damn well I don't need this shit from a fucking kid….." he sat up and pushed me away. I stumbled back, but I caught myself. He rubbed his eyes, his eyes adjusting to the light in the room.

I was livid. Not only did I risk everything to keep him safe, but he called me a kid! I hate that so much. He is the LAST person I would allow to call me that. That was it, no more miss nice girl. I shoved him back onto the bed and sat on top of him, straddling his arms and chest. I bent down so that we were eye to eye.

"Listen here you little turd, I could have let your ass die out there in that damn cemetery for all I care, but I didn't. You know why? Hell if I know either! But I'll be DAMNED if some psychopathic nut job like you walks all over me!" he growled and started to push me off, but on impulse I slapped him as hard as I could across the face. He looked at me, eyes wide with shock.

"And another thing, you shit stain, there are a few things I will not tolerate as long as you are a guest in my house. One," I held up a finger. "I will not tolerate swearing or any type of abusive language or gestures in my home. So watch your mouth and your attitude. Two, "I held up another finger. "Until I see that you are better, you WILL listen to what I say so that you can have a full recovery, and you will not question me or my methods. I only want you to get better, and the sooner you recover, the sooner you are free. And lastly… NEVER, EVER…. Refer to me as a kid or a child. I may look young, but I'm twenty two years old and in college for my Bach. Degree. So do not treat me as anything less than your equal. Do we understand each other?" I said with a huff. He nodded silently, shock and disbelief set into his facial features. I took in a deep breath to calm me.

"Now…. I'm going to get off of you, but before I do, I need to know that we understand each other…. Do we have an understanding Jeffery?" I said, softening my tone. His eyes fluttered closed for a moment, then he looked at me and nodded. I shook my head.

"I want to hear you say it." I said sternly. I saw the muscle in his jaw tighten and his eye twitch in annoyance.

"Yes…. Now can you get off of me please?" he said through gritted teeth. I smiled and shifted off of him.

"Good, now that we have an understanding, is there anything I can get you?" I said pleasantly, but inside I felt sick.

"….I have to take a piss…." He started to sit up, but I gently pushed him back down.

"Don't worry, I'll get you a bed pan so you don't have to push yourself too much. Give me a moment and I'll be back" I said and smiled softly as I walked out of the room.

The second I closed the door, I sighed and slid to the floor. I took in deep breathes, struggling to calm my rapidly beating heart.

_I cannot believe I did that!_

)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(.

_" I can't believe she did that…" I managed to croak. It was unbelievable. Never, in my entire life, has anyone ever yelled at me like that, well, anyone who wasn't on the receiving end of my blade. My face throbbed with the sting of her slap. I raised my hands and touched my abdomen, where I felt her heat and weight on top of me… her softness…. I lowered my hands feeling the residual warmth from her… only to be met with an erection._

_ "__Shit…. Are you fucking kidding me?" I sighed and rolled over, sliding my hand down my pants. I shouldn't be this hard... or hard at all. Very few things can turn me on like that…. And I rarely ever… ugh…. _

_I pressed my face into her pillow and inhaled the faint scent of her perfume, rubbing the head of my dick with my thumb. "nnnngh…. Shit…." I mumbled into the pillow as I stroked myself, reliving the feeling of her warm weight. I closed my eyes and felt the warmth of her skin, saw the shine in her eyes, felt the soft tickle of her hair on my face. I imagined her full pink lips moaning in pleasure, gasping for air as I wrapped my hands around her slender throat… the feel of her hands and she slaps me and scratches me, resisting me, fighting me as she moans my name… I bite my lip to stifle a moan. "oh….god… nnggh…!"_

_A loud shattering and a shouting male voice broke my reverie. I sat up fast, and almost fell off the bed from dizziness…. "What the fuck was that?!"_

***A/N: Sorry for the delay everyone, but between work and my poor health, I haven't had the time. But more chapters will be coming soon!***


	9. Mama & Papa

I dug through the linen closet, pushing aside towels and spare sheets. It wasn't anywhere in here. "Dammit… where is that bedpan?" I scratched my head, straining my memory, trying to remember where I last left it. The last time it was last seen was when Mama was still around…

_"__Mama, are you sure you don't need my help?" I said, holding out my arms to a small, thin woman wearing a long lavender baby doll nightgown, her bony hands cold and shaking as she reached for the metal bedpan that was on a stool next to her bed._

_She smiled, her once round, pink face now gaunt and gray from fever and weight loss, her chestnut brown hair, once shiny and voluminous, now dull and lank, like all life was sapped from it leaving behind lifeless strands. Dark circles were under her eyes, once bright green, now a dull gray. She patted my hands and grabbed the bedpan, "No Liuie… I can manage this at least. You don't need to take care of me so much, you should go out and have fun, live like a normal young woman." She giggled hoarsely and pulled back her bedsheets. I helped her sit up and pulled down her bloomers. I held her steady as she did her business. _

_ " __Oh Mama, I'll have plenty of time to do that once you're feeling better. Besides, I like helping you. I just want you to get well as soon as possible so that way we can play like we could before. We can go to the Dollhouse Café and have a tea party!" I said with brightly, faking enthusiasm. This made her smile._

_ "__Yes, I would love to do that again." She said as she laid back down. I took her bedpan and walked to the door._

_ "__Liuie? After you clean it, can you put it back into the laundry closet, I don't want it to leave a smell." I nodded and smiled, even though I felt like crying. Mama smiled and closed her eyes._

_ "__I'm going to take a nap. I want to get better as fast as I can, so that way we can go to Dollhouse and have tea and cakes, just like before."_

_ "__Okay Mama." I said with a smile, knowing as well as she did that our tea party will never happen._

I dabbed my eyes as I walked downstairs, stopping the tears from falling. I couldn't think about Mama. The pain was still fresh. I loved her so much. She was my best friend, and the only parent I had. My biological father was a police officer who passed away when I was five. It was always Mama and me, until my stepfather and Arlen came into our lives. I love them both, but they have changed so much. It's like I don't even know them anymore. Especially Papa. He used to be so kind, but then Mama got sick and he started changing.

Speaking of Papa, I heard him rummaging about in the kitchen as I descended the staircase. I peeked around the corner. He was grumbling some obscenities while looking in the refrigerator for something to eat. His salt and pepper hair was disheveled and his clothes were wrinkled and freshly stained with beer. I could smell his stale beer scent from here. I wrinkled my nose and turned away, not wanting to get his attention this early in the morning. He was always grouchy whenever he had a hangover. I walked past the laundry room quietly, carefully avoiding the creaky floorboard by the door, and went to the broom closet. I opened the door quietly and shifted around some of the cleaning utilities. I found the bedpan almost instantly on a shelf next to some bottles of cleaner and disinfectant.

"Got it." I said closing the closet door. I walked quickly back to the staircase, only to be stopped by my Father's voice.

"Liu? Is that you? Get in here." He sounded angry and groggy. I stopped dead, one foot on the stair. I put the bedpan down on the stair and took a deep breath.

"Yes Papa?" I said, placing a timid smile on my face as I walked into the kitchen. He was sitting at the island, a plate of dry toast sitting in front him. His bloodshot blue eyes stared at me sternly.

"Why isn't there any god damned food in this house?" he growled. I picked at my nails nervously.

"I-I need to go shopping…. I was going to go yesterday, but…." My voice trailed off as my step-father's face started turning red.

"But?! But what?! Are you saying it's my fault? Because you were being a disobedient little shit, that it's my fault that you didn't go to the god damned store to buy my fucking food?!" He started shouting. I winced and stepped back a bit, my back hitting the sink. He stood up, slamming his hands on the table.

"Papa, p-please calm down! I'll go to the store a little later-" I ducked as he threw the ceramic plate at me. It shattered against the cabinet, raining the shattered pieces over me.

"FUCKING USELESS LITTLE WHORE!" he shouted as he stormed out of the kitchen. I heard him stomp out the front door, slamming it behind him hard making the windows rattle. I sat down onto the floor, sobbing dryly. _I hate him like this… he was never like this…. I don't want to be here anymore! _ I took a deep breath and started to pick up the larger pieces of the plate.

After cleaning up, I made some farina and dry toast, and took the tray of food, along with the bedpan under my arm, up to Jeff. I stood outside my door and took in deep breath to calm myself. I pushed the door open slowly and smiled pleasantly at Jeff, who looked at me with an indifferent, blank expression. His face was coated with a sheen of sweat, and he laid against my headboard. I placed the tray on my nightstand table and sat next to him on the bed.

"How are you feeling?" I said softly. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath.

"I still have to piss." He said deadpan. I handed him the bedpan, stood up and faced the wall.

"Go ahead, I won't look" I said. I heard him stand up and do his business. After he was done, I heard him plop down onto my bed. I turned around and took the bedpan from the stool that was next to the bed. I emptied it into the toilet in my bathroom and rinsed it out. I came back out to see him laying down on his side, facing the door. I sat on the stool.

"…Are you hungry? I made some farina if you want it" I said softly. He shook his head and closed his eyes. I placed my hand gently on his forehead, but he grabbed my hand roughly the second I touched him. He opened his eyes and glared at me.

"Don't touch me." he said softly, squeezing my hand with surprising gentleness, and released it. He turned over, his back facing me. I rubbed my hand and picked up the bowl of farina. I walked over and sat at my desk and turned on my laptop.

"If you need anything, let me know." He grunted in response. I turned to my computer and began typing, finishing the paper I should've finished last night.


	10. Cut

_It's getting late_ I thought to myself as I drove down the street. The sun was setting, making me wish I had finished my essays and projects much sooner. I spent the day working on my assignment and trying to get Jeff to eat something to no avail. He was in and out of sleep all day, fighting off his fever. Gwyn called me a few minutes ago, while I was out at the store getting some food and picking up the zipper and replacement needle for my sewing machine. She told me that it was the flu, and no infection or alcohol poisoning. The news made me breathe a sigh of relief, then I reprimanded myself a little. _ I shouldn't be feeling relief for a murderous bastard like Jeff…but I have to play nice… what I did this morning, I'm surprised he didn't try to kill me right there and then. _ I sighed and leaned my head on the steering wheel, waiting for the street light to change. I thought back to earlier today….

_"__What are you doing? You're making so much noise!" Jeff moaned, waking from another fitful, fever induced sleep. He was tossing and turning relentlessly; I thought my bed frame would break from how much he moved. I looked up from my pottery wheel and took my foot of the pedal. _

_ "__What?" I looked at him as I reached for a detail sculpting tool. _

_ "__What the hell are you doing? I'm trying to sleep…" he sat up and looked at me, an angered and groggy look on his face. His face was drenched with sweat, his hair sticking to his face. I placed down my tool and wiped my hands on my smock. I went into the bathroom and filled a basin with cool water and took a clean wash cloth. I walked over to Jeff and sat down on the bed._

_ "__I'm sorry, I'm working on a school project. I didn't mean to wake you." I dipped the cloth into the water and wrung it out. I tentatively reached out and gently touched it to his cheek. He didn't grab my hand this time. He just stared at me cautiously, his eyes glazed over with fever. He swayed where he sat, and he pushed his cheek into my hand._

_ '__I knew it," I thought. 'He was feeling feverishly hot. This should cool him down a bit…. But he'll need to take a cooling shower and eat if he's going to break this fever. I know he'll fight me on it though.'_

_I felt a weight on my shoulder, and I snapped my attention to Jeff. He was leaning his head on my shoulder. My eyes widened in shock._

_ "__Why would you help and piece of shit like me?" he whispered huskily in my ear. I shivered and blushed._

_ "…__Why not?" I said softly, wiping his cheek gently with the wash cloth. I felt a tremor go through him as the cloth caressed his cheek and neck. He moaned softly and wrapped his arms around my waist. I froze. 'What in the…?'_

_ "__You're too kind…. It's going to kill you…someday…" his eyes drooped and his voice faltered. I continued to dab the wash cloth along his neck and face in silence… I was too stunned to say anything. I then felt something soft and warm on my neck near my ear, and then a stinging pain._

_ "__Ow!" I flinched and looked at Jeff, his tongue sticking out lazily and his glazed eyes staring intensely at me. I touched the stinging spot; it was wet and a little bit of blood was on my fingers._

_ "__You…" I squeaked. He sighed. _

_ "__You have a cut on your neck, I was just disinfecting it" he said huskily. He grabbed my chin and turned my head and licked the cut on my neck. I whimpered but I didn't fight him. I don't even think I could. He kept doing it until it stopped stinging, and I stopped whimpering from the pain. He released my chin, which felt bruised from his grip and laid back down onto the bed and closed his eyes._

_ "__Now can you please stop making so much damn noise? My head is pounding."_

I jumped at the sound of a car horn honking behind me. I blinked a few times and pressed the gas pedal to go forward. I drove down the street, raising a hand to the now bandaged cut on my neck. Even though I had evaded the plate my Papa threw at me, a shard still managed to cut me. I didn't even notice it, and when I checked on it after Jeff fell back asleep it didn't even hurt. It was thin and long. I barely noticed it, but it started bleeding after Jeff licked it. When I had disinfected it, it didn't sting anymore. It was just barely throbbing.

I stopped at an intersection and lit a wood tipped cigarillo. I cracked open my window to let the smoke out as I drove forward. I heard some cans in the trunk clink around. I had gone shopping after I finished detailing my clay urn for my pottery class. I didn't want to have Papa yelling at me again. He left this morning, and I haven't seen him since. I don't know if he went to work or he went out to another bar, but the less I see him, the better. I just hope Papa isn't home right now when I'm not home. He sometimes goes into my room to try and throw away my dresses, messing up my art work and steal my money that I have saved from all of my part time jobs. Mama had left me some money when she passed, but I refuse to touch it. It would help me immensely when I pay back my student loans after I graduate. I was anxious to get home.

Papa wasn't the only one I was worried about. Jeff was alone at home as well. I didn't expect him to steal anything, but I didn't want Papa to see Jeff, or vice versa. He might try to kill my step-father. That the worst case scenario. Best case his fever gets worse. I want to avoid that as well. The sooner he's better, the sooner he can leave and I'll never have to see him again_. Right? _ I bit the tip of my cigarillo and pulled into the driveway. Papa's car wasn't there, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I cut the ignition and just sat in my car, finishing off my cigarillo. I need to finish fixing Jeff's hoodie before his fever breaks. I have a feeling he'll lose his shit more than he already has if he sees the damage. So fixing it has become my number one priority. I stubbed out the cigarillo and went to fetch the groceries.


	11. You're not Real

I don't know how I managed to get the multiple bags of food into my house in only two trips, but I'm so happy I did it. I rubbed my arms after I put the last of the canned food in the pantry.

"There! Done, finally." I stretched out my back and headed upstairs. I felt tired now, even though it was only 7 pm, I wanted to take a shower and lay down. But I had to check up on Jeff first, and affix the new zipper to his hoodie before I even think about going to sleep. I walked quietly upstairs and opened the door carefully.

"Jeff? Are you awake?" I said quietly as I stepped into the room. He turned his head to me, his face drenched in sweat again and paler than normal. He groaned weakly and closed his eyes. I sat next to him and felt his forehead. He was burning up. _Oh crap… this isn't good._ I took the washcloth from the basin I left on my night table, wrung it out and wiped his face. His eyes fluttered open.

"You're back…." He croaked hoarsely. He pushed my hand away and sat up. I brushed his hair out of his face. He grabbed my hand and looked at me.

"What are you doing, kid?" he grumbled irritably. He dropped my hand and rubbed his face. I clenched my jaw and took in a deep breath.

"Don't call me a kid. And I was just checking up on you. Your fever is getting worse. You need to eat something and take a shower. No "if"s, "and"s or "but"s about it. I'll make you something mild like oatmeal or farina. Afterwards I'll help you to the bathroom and get you cleaned up from all the sweat. It will help you break your fever." He looked up at me.

"…fine. I'm too tired to argue. Just take this stupid I.V out. I'm sick of it already." He held out his arm. I grimaced and hesitated.

"Um… I've never removed one of these things before. I-I don't even know how to-"

"Just pull it out."

"But I don't-"

"Just pull the fucking thing out!" Jeff snapped at me. I flinched.

"Okay! …okay. Um…" I hesitated, then I carefully peeled off the tape that held the I.V in place. I took a cotton ball and a flower printed Band-Aid from my night table drawer and placed the cotton ball lightly over the needle. I bit my lip and then, in one quick movement, I pulled out the needle and pressed down the cotton ball. I exhaled a breath I didn't know I was holding and placed the Band-Aid over the cotton ball tightly. Jeff patted my head and laid back down.

"Good job, kid. Didn't even hurt." He said and smirked.

My hands were shaking. I stood up and walked out of the room without a word.

)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(

"Open your mouth." I said sternly, holding up a spoonful of oatmeal. Jeff sighed and parted his lips. I place the spoon into his mouth and watched him as he ate.

"Good boy." I praised, smiling at his scowl.

"Shut up or I'll cut your tongue out." He snatched the bowl from my hand and started eating. I smiled wider. _As much as he was fighting and denying food, he really was hungry. I wonder when it was last that he ate…_ I stood up and stretched at bit. I was feeling even more tired than before. I turned to Jeff, who was just staring at me, chewing.

"I'm, uh, going to take a shower, then I'll help you into the shower after you finish eating, okay?" he nodded, strangely silent. I nodded, went to my dresser and picked out a long sleeved light blue baby doll nightgown, a pair of underwear and some stripy knee high socks and went into my bathroom.

)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(

_I spooned more of the flavorless oatmeal into my mouth as I watched her disappear into her bathroom. As much as I hate to admit it, I was really hungry. And the oatmeal was making me feel a little better. It was disgustingly bland, but I won't look a gift horse in the mouth. I ate in silence, only the sound of running water to be heard. I placed the now empty bowl onto the nightstand and laid back down. Things looked fuzzy and I felt hot…. I can't believe I'm sick… and this kid… I don't even remember her name… did she even tell me? I don't even know. But she was taking care of me… and as much as I fucking hate it, I do feel a little grateful. _

_I struggled to keep my eyes open. I didn't want to fall back asleep today. I kept having nightmares. The same hazy memories of mom, dad and my brother's faces… mutilated and frozen in terror. Along with that kid's annoying presence I just feel disgusting. I hate myself so fucking much right now, being so weak that I have to rely on some loli-fetish brat to take care of me. I could take care of myself. "Yeah, right" I murmured to myself. I could barely even stand; there was no way that I would even manage to take care of myself if I were on my own. As much as I hate to admit it…. and I REALLLLY hate to admit it, but I'm thankful for this little kid for helping me. And she's pretty easy on the eyes too…_

_ "__What the fuck am I thinking?" I sat up and rested my head in my hands, gripping my hair and rocked back and forth. This fever…. This fever was fucking with me. I need to get out of here… I need to be far away as possible. I swung my legs over and got out of the bed. Instantly, the room spun and my equilibrium was thrown off. I staggered over, but managed to keep standing. I gripped onto the chrome bed frame at the foot of the bed to steady myself. I felt the sweat dripping off of my face as the room continued to spin. I squeezed my eyes shut to stop the spinning…._

_ "__Bro…. why bro….?" my eyes shot open at the low raspy voice. It was….Liu…. bloody and cut open. His face was cloaked in shadow, only one bloody eye seen from the shadows… my eyes widened. _

_ "__No…. No, fucking no! You're…. you're dead! I… I fucking killed you…. Liu…. You're not here, you're not real!" I backed away as my brother walked towards me. This wasn't real… it couldn't be real… they were dead… they we're… _

_ "__Son…. Why?" a cold, high pitched voice rasped behind me as I felt cold hands grip my shoulders. I turned and gasped. Bloodied and mutilated were my parents' image. They came closer, closing in on me. I staggered away only to fall to the floor._

_ "__No…. stay away….. No! No…. NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" I screamed as everything went black._

)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(

I heard Jeff scream as I was massaging lotion into my legs. "What the-?!" I dropped the bottle and ran out of my bathroom. Jeff was lying on the floor, shaking violently in a fetal position. I knelt down and gently touched his shoulders.

"Jeff-"

"NO! GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME!" He screamed and pushed me backed. I fell back, pain exploded in my back as it hit my bed frame. I coughed and looked back at Jeff, who scooted back to the opposing wall, his eyes wide with fear. He looked at me, but wasn't seeing me. He covered his eyes with his hands, staring through his open fingers looking around as if seeing people that weren't there. I crawled over to him and carefully grabbed his hands.

"Jeff!" I cried out, "Jeff! It's okay, you're sa- Ow!" his arms were flailing when I touched him, and his fist made contact him my jaw. I fell over and groaned in pain. I bit back tears as I tasted blood.

"Okay…. Okay…" I crawled back over to Jeff and grabbed his arms, using all of my strength to hold his arms down from attacking me again

"Jeff!" I cried out, and using all of my weight, pinned him onto his back. He started screaming incoherently. I barely made out what he was saying. I struggled to hold him down, my eyes quickly scanning for my cell phone. It was on the desk. As I wondered how I was going to reach it and hold Jeff down, he pushed me off of him, knocking the wind out of me. I took a deep breath and as fast as I could, and grabbed my cell phone off of the desk. I dialed Gwyn's number as I tried to calm Jeff down. He was hyperventilating heavily, struggling to breathe as tears streamed down his face. I held the phone to my ear with my shoulder as I grabbed his hands and pinned them level his face.

"Shhhh…..Shh… Jeff… it's okay sweetie, it's okay…" I said soothingly, trying to stop him from freaking out violently. I listened intently to my phone. I heard a click.

"Hello? Gwyn Valentine speak-"

"Gwyn!" I cut her off. "Gwyn, I need you! Jeff…. He's having some sort of freak out. He keeps screaming and he's becoming violent. I think he's having some kind of anxiety attack because of his fever. He- ugh!" I coughed as Jeff, in trying to get free head butted me in the chest. I shoved him back down and pinned his arms with my elbows, forcing me to come face to face with him. His hyperventilating got worse; he couldn't even speak, only a strangled whimper came out. I grabbed my phone and held it up to my ear, while gently caressing Jeff's cheek soothingly with my other hand.

"Liu?! Liu! Are you okay? I'm calling the police!" she cried.

"NO! …No Gwyn…. I just need you here… please! I promise I'm okay…but I need to help me with him… his fever is getting worse. He's having a freak out… he calming down now, but I need your help…" I pleaded to her. She swore, and I heard the jingle of keys in the back ground.

"Fine…. Dammit I'm on my way!"


	12. Busted

I sat with my back leaning against my bed frame, a puddle of vomit a foot away from my outstretched feet. Jeff was lying unconscious in a fetal position, his head on my lap. I gently and soothingly rubbed his cheek with the side of my thumb, keeping him calm. It had become very dark in my room, only the light from the bathroom's half closed door illuminated a small fraction of my room. I had my eyes closed, trying to ignore the pain of my busted lip as I listened out for Gwyn.

After I had hung up with her, I proceeded to calm Jeff down with soothing words and gentle caresses on his cheeks, rubbing his cheeks with my thumbs gently. He began to calm down, crying. I felt shaken. To see someone notorious for ruthless murder in such a vulnerable state, it was kind of horrifying. It made me realize that he was truly human, and not the monster that he made himself to be. The monster that every sane person feared. He calmed down enough to be able to breathe better…. Then promptly vomited. I had turned him over so that he wouldn't choke and drown in his own vomit.

I dragged him away from his vomit and had been holding him like this for the last half hour. I was waiting for Gwyn. She was working in the main office deeper in town today instead of her private one, so it would take her an hour to get here with good traffic. I sighed and opened my eyes and looked at Jeff. He was breathing heavily, but he was calm now. I don't know what he saw in his fever induced freak out, but it must have been something he feared. I've never seen anyone act like that when sick. I was…worried. Maybe he wasn't a total sociopath after all.

The sound of footsteps on the staircase broke my train of thought. I tensed up and held my breath. _Please don't let that be Papa…. Please, please please…._

I breathed a big sigh of relief when a soft knock was heard from my door. Papa would never knock softly.

"Come in Gwyn!" I said hoarsely. She opened the door and rushed over to me.

"Oh Liuie! Oh thank god!" she stopped short when she saw Jeff's face. A weird look of terror and intrigue formed on her face.

"What the eff…? Okay…. Fuck, okay…." She turned away, running her fingers through her hair. _ Damn…_ I thought. _Busted._

"Liuienna Starla-Marie Valentine… why…."Gwyn paused, her voice high pitched, but not loud. I cringed. She never, ever used my full name so I know I'm in some serious trouble. No one ever used my full name. Not even Mama.

"Why…. The hell… are you harboring…. A MURDERER?!" she shrieked dramatically. I winced. Of course she would recognize him; He was truly infamous.

"Um…. I… I … don't know." I said honestly. She shook her head, running her fingers through her hair nervously.

"Liu…" she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. I looked down at Jeff; I didn't have anything to say, I mean, what COULD I say?

Gwyn walked out of the room, coming back a few moments later with a stack of towels, a bucket and a mop. I looked up at her.

"Gwyn…." I murmured.

"First things first, I'm going to clean up this puke from the floor," she dropped the towels onto the bed.

"Then, we're going to strip this fucker," she pointed to Jeff, "and clean him up. Then I'm going to re-insert the I.V and give him some antibiotics to help kill this virus." She dropped the bucket, which was filled with a water and ammonia solution, onto the floor and dipped the mop into it. She wrung it out and started to mop up the vomit.

"Damn my code of honor… and damn the pinkie promise!" she grumbled. I smiled.

"Thank you Gwyn. I'm so happy I can count on you."

"Yeah, yeah."

)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(

"Oooof…. He is one heavy bastard!" Gwyn said, dropping a newly bathed and clothed Jeff onto my bed. I lifted his feet and swung them onto the bed, my face burning with embarrassment and my eyes avoiding looking at either Jeff or my aunt. I had to give Jeff a bath while Gwyn cleaned up the mess that was made and looked for new clothed for Jeff to wear. He was wearing a pair of my brother's gray sweat pants and a Led Zeppelin T-shirt. I sat on my rocking chair and watched Gwyn as she hooked up the I.V with a smaller solution bag. She then inserted the new I.V tube into Jeff's arm. She sighed and pulled out a pack of cigarettes from her pocket.

"I thought you quit?" I said quietly, standing up and stretching out my back.

"Yeah well… screw it." She shrugged as she tapped the pack in her hands. I tiptoed to my window and opened it, letting the cool air into the room. Gwyn stepped out onto the balcony and leaned against the rail. I grabbed my zippo lighter and a wood tipped cigar and joined her.

"Shit, I left my lighter at home." I flipped open my lighter and clicked it, holding out the blue flame to the tip of her cigarette. She inhaled to light it and I lit my cigar as well.

We were silent for a while, just the sound of rustling leaves was heard. I didn't say anything. I didn't know what to say. I brought home a homicidal maniac; I mean, I've done some pretty stupid things in the past, but this takes the cake. I just wish Gwyn would say something or yell at me or something. She's bailed me out from a lot of stuff and even covered for me so that Mama and Papa never found out. But I know this time, she probably won't cover for me again. This is too risky. Too dangerous. I sighed a puff of smoke.

"So," Gwyn stubbed out her cigarette butt and flicked it. "What's the plan Liuie?"

"What?" I said dumbly, snapping out of my thoughts.

"What do you mean 'what?'? You have a psychopathic killer in your bed, and not in a sexy way," I rolled my eyes. "You can't hide him forever, y'know. If you get caught with him here, you can go to jail for harboring a fugitive of the law. And what are you going to do once he gets better? Do you think he won't hurt you just because you helped him?"

I took a drag from my cigar. "Hm… I don't know." I exhaled and looked up at the sky. It was a clear night.

"I don't think anything like that Gwyn. I know this isn't smart…. Hell, this might be the stupidest thing I've ever done." I tapped the ash off the tip of my cigar.

"Stupider than the time you sold 'special' brownies at your school's bake sale?" She said with a chuckle.

"Hey! That wasn't my fault! How was I supposed to know that Arlen spiked a batch of brownies with pot for him and his bandmates? He asked me to make a batch, and took the wrong one." I pouted

"Okay, okay…. How about: Stupider than the time you worked as a burlesque performer while you were still in high school?" She said, an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah…. Yeah stupider than that… Although I was really good as a performer." I said with a little pride.

"Yeah you were good, but I was better…. I still remember how hard that body guard dropped when I socked him." She said, rubbing her knuckles in remembrance. I chuckled.

"Well… I'm old enough to do it now…" I mumbled. She snorted.

"Yeah, okay. You do that." She lit another cigarette.

"Really?"

"I was being facetious, Liu."

"Oh."

We sat in silence once more. I looked down at my yard. I saw Scrappy chasing some small rodent around the yard, rustling leaves and darting around. I watched my kitty for a while as I finished my smoke.

"Liu… Are you sure you don't want to call the police? I mean, this is dangerous. Really freaking dangerous." She said, the concern overflowing in her voice.

I shook my head and stubbed out my cigar. "I know Gwyn, I know." I walked back inside and sat on my rocking chair. Gwyn sighed as she closed and locked my window. She plopped onto my computer chair. She tapped her nails on the desk, lost in thought. I made myself comfortable and threw a thin periwinkle knitted throw blanket over my legs. I'm keeping an eye on Jeff tonight. I rocked myself gently.

Gwyn stood up and headed for my door. "I'm going to make some coffee."

"You're going to stay the night then?" I said hopefully.

She sighed and pulled out her cell phone. "Yeah… I'll let Mei know that I'm staying here tonight… I'm going to keep an eye on you both." She rubbed her neck.

"God help me if Robert says something to me when he gets home." She shook her head and walked out of the room. I sighed and looked at Jeff. I gently stroked the back of his hand with my thumb and tucked him into the blankets.

I settled myself in my chair comfortably. I hope Gwyn brings me a cup of coffee too, because it was going to be a long night.


	13. Awake

_It was the feeling of something jumping onto the bed that woke me up. I opened my eyes and looked around. At the foot of the bed was a large fluffy gray long haired cat with one green eye and one blue eye. I looked at it, and it looked at me. It mewed and settled itself at the foot of the bed, curling up into a ball. I looked up at the ceiling. It was bathed in light blue, the rising sun shining through the open window. I blinked a few times, then proceeded to sit up. I was shaky, and a little weak, but my vision wasn't blurry or hazy anymore. I took a deep breath and rubbed my eyes. They were sensitive and swollen. I looked around the room. There was a faint smell of ammonia and cigarette smoke. The window was wide open, making the sunlight pour into the room. I caught some movement from the corner of my vision. I turned and froze. That girl…. She was sitting in a rocking chair close to the bed, her head lolled to one side and a knitted blanket hanging off of her lap. She was pale and there were dark circles under her eyes, her hair was tangled and hung in long locks around her face, draped along her shoulders and covering her large round breasts. She had a thin, but prominent scar under her left eye._

_ "__Did…. did she watch me all night?" I thought as I swung my legs off of the bed. I picked up the blanket and carefully draped it over her. Looking at her in this peaceful state… it was interesting. I've never dealt with anyone who would look me in the eye and treat me like an equal. Maybe I won't kill her after all… I mean she did take care of me… she could have left me to die. Maybe she's just crazy… _

_I didn't even realize how close I had come to her until she stirred. I could smell her; a mix of vanilla, lavender and roses, along with a faint scent of stale coffee. I backed away. "What is wrong with me?" I muttered._

_"__Oh goodie, you're awake." A voice said softly. I turned quick and saw a woman with a cigarette in her mouth. She looked like an older, taller version of this kid, with short chestnut hair tied back, a black t-shirt and blue sweater and a pair of fitted blue denim jeans and converse sneakers. She leaned against the window frame and looked at me with disgust. I want so badly to cut her face off, just to remove that look off her face. _

_"__Who the fuck are you?" I said, surprised by how hoarse my voice was. I winced at the pain that shot through my throat._

_She took a drag and smirked. "Gwyn. Seems like you're feeling better. My niece will be happy." She rolled her eyes._

_"__Your… niece?" my eyes flashed to the kid and back to the bitch by the window. _

_"__Yup. She asked me for help. I'm a doctor. If it weren't for me, you'd be in a fever coma by now." _

_I looked at her warily. "So the I.V…"_

_"__Yup. That was me. Liu's a smart girl… but too clumsy to be in the medical field." She chuckled._

_My eyes widened. Did she just say…?_

_"__What did you just fucking say?" I growled. She nodded and flicked her cigarette away. _

_"__Oh right… She told me about that. Her name is Liu. Well, Liuienna, but no one ever calls her that. So just Liu. Same as your late brother's, right? Kind of ironic." She giggled._

_I was pissed. Really fucking pissed. She's mocking me, this doctor bitch. I clenched my fists._

_"__Calm down, psycho-fucker, I'm not trying to bust your balls. All I want is for you to get better, so that you can get out of here and never bother us again." Her expression softened, which pissed me off even more. She walked towards me. I didn't move but I watched her intently, ready to attack if she decides to do something. She checked on the I.V, which was now empty, and shut off the drip._

_"__Want me to take it off?" she said. I nodded; I fucking hated it. It brought back some… unpleasant… memories. I sat tense and still as she removed it and bandaged my arm._

_She walked away from me without saying a word. She walked out of the window. I stood up carefully and followed her, feeling shaky and off balance._

_I stepped out onto the balcony and inhaled the crisp morning air. It was chilly, but clear. I leaned against the railing and stared at the doctor bitch. She lit another cigarette and held out the pack to me. I stared at her warily and didn't move._

_She rolled her eyes. "Just take one, I'm not going to do anything to you, so relax." I looked at her and took one from the pack, not taking my eyes off of her. She handed me a lighter and I lit it. I inhaled deeply, relishing in the taste and feel of the smoke filling my lungs. I stared at her, the silence growing heavy. She stared back at me._

_"__Why?" I said after a while. She shrugged, not asking what I meant._

_"__I did it for Liu." She said simply. My eye twitched and I looked away. My eyes wandered to Liu, who was still sleeping in the chair._

_"__She's too kind for her own good." the woman said softly. I rolled my eyes._

_Suddenly I found myself bent over backwards, my head and upper body dangling over the railing. I flailed my arms to keep balance, unable to kick my feet for fear of falling over. In my state, I wouldn't recover from the fall. The doctor bitch was holding me over. _

_"__Listen you little shit, I'm warning you now… if you do anything to Liu, I will fucking hunt your ass down and gut you like animal you are! I'm a black belt in Aikido and Krav Maga, and I won't hesitate to fuck you up if you hurt so much as a hair on her head. Do we understand each other, Jeffy-boy?" her voice was cold as ice. I started laughing, feeling the blood rush to my head._

_"__Oh you're funny bitch… HAHAHA! I like you though… not many people could put me in such a state…." I took a deep breath. I was feeling dizzy. If I was held like this any longer, I'd pass out or puke. "I don't have a reason to hurt you or her…. Don't worry… the second I'm able, I'm out of this shit hole."_

_She stared at me for a moment, then pulled me up upright. I shoved her away and leaned against the rail, trying to stop the spinning feeling in my head. She tapped my cheek and smiled._

_"__Good. Now get some rest." She turn and walked back inside. I spat over the rail and picked up my cigarette. Fuck her… fuck her! The second I can stand without feeling like I'm going to fall over, I'm out of here!_


	14. A Cold Morning

I woke up shivering. "Mmmhng… it's cold" I murmured as I stood up. I wrapped myself in my blanket and rubbed my eyes as I walked to my open window. _Did Gwyn leave it open again?_ I yawned and reached for one of the panes. As I was closing it, I felt something grab my arm roughly.

"Don't." came a husky voice. I looked up.

"Jeff!" I cried in surprise. He released my arm and stepped away from me. I stepped out onto the balcony and leaned against the railing, facing him. He stared back at me, studious and unblinking. I blushed and shifted uncomfortably as his piercing blue eyes stared at me intently. I looked down and pulled my blanket tighter around my shoulders.

The silence was growing uncomfortable, so I cleared my throat.

"Um… ho-how are you feeling?" I said softly. I could tell something was bothering him but he just grunted and sat down, leaning his back against the rail. I cautiously moved and crouched next to him. He kept his eyes on me as I gently placed my hand on his forehead. His temperature was still hot, but not burning anymore. I gently caressed his face, my hand moving from his forehead to his cheek. His eyes fluttered closed and he pressed his cheek into me hand. _How long has he been out here?_ His cheek was as cold as ice as I rubbed my thumb against it gently. His skin was so pale, even after his shower. The amount of dirt that came off of him made so much difference to how he looks now. His skin was about two shades lighter now, the dark circles under his eyes more prominent, his hair, once lank and greasy, was now softer and lighter in color. I thought it was black, but it was now a dark brown. It hung down his chest, to his waist and was uneven in places. I continued to gently caress his cheek, and I felt him shiver.

"It's cold out here… let's go back inside, okay?" said softly. He opened his eyes and looked at me as if he forgot I was there. He pushed my hand away and stood up. I stood up and we walked back inside.

I heard voices shouting downstairs as I locked my window. It seems like Gwyn and Papa were arguing again. Jeff looked at me questioningly as I shook my head.

"Papa and Gwyn… they don't like each other very much." I frowned and sat on the bed next to Jeff.

"Why?" he asked. I shrugged and jumped when I heard a plate shatter downstairs. I sighed and walked to my door. I turned to Jeff.

"Are you hungry?" he shrugged.

"I could eat." He said matter-of-factly. I smiled and nodded as I left the room.

)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(

I focused on the oatmeal on the stove as Gwyn and Papa continued arguing about something. They've always disliked each other, and Gwyn can hold her own, so I stayed out of it whenever I can. I poured the oatmeal into a bowl and placed it on a tray next to a glass of soymilk, orange juice and dry toast. I picked up the tray and walked out of the kitchen quickly, and not a moment too soon. It seems the arguing has moved back into the kitchen. I couldn't make out what they were saying because they were yelling at each other at the same time, each one trying to out scream the other. I shook my head and headed upstairs.

I carefully pushed open the door and set the try on my night table. Jeff was lying in bed, eyes closed and scratching Scrappy's head lazily. Scrappy was purring loudly at his side. I smiled.

"It seems Scrappy really likes you." I giggled and rubbed Scrappy's back gently. He meowed and turned onto his back so I could rub his belly. Jeff shifted and sat up.

"'Scrappy' huh? Heh…" he grabbed the bowl and started eating slowly. I sat on the bed and started playing with my kitty. I peeked up at Jeff, who was watching me intently as he ate. I blushed and looked at him. I parted my lips, about to ask him a question, when I felt a sharp pain in my hand.

"Ow! Scrappy! Bad Kitty!" I scolded as Scrappy jumped off the bed and ran out of the room. I looked at my finger; Scrappy bit me a little too hard and it was bleeding. I licked the blood that was running down and sucked on it for a bit.

I heard Jeff groan softly. I looked at him. His ears were pink and he was staring at the window.

"Are you okay?" I asked, reaching into the table drawer for a Band-Aid. He nodded.

"Yeah… it's uh… just hot is all." His voice cracked a bit as he gestured to the near empty bowl. I handed him the cup of milk and without looking at me, he took it. He sipped it and choked a bit as he swallowed it. He looked at the cup with disgust.

"What did I just drink?" he asked me.

"Soymilk… I'm uh, lactose intolerant." I said softly. He grimaced and handed me back the glass.

"Sorry," I muttered as I took the glass and handed him the orange juice. He drank it heavily. I took the empty bowl and cup and placed it back on the tray. He shifted himself back down onto the bed and laid his head onto my pillow.

"Going back to sleep for a bit?" I asked. He nodded. I gently brushed his hair out of his face and tucked him in. As I tucked him in, he grabbed my arm and pulled me into the bed. I cried out in surprise. I was lying next to him, my head on his chest and his arm around my shoulder.

"J-Jeff…?" I stammered but he shushed me.

"Shut up. Just stay here for a bit," he murmured, closing his eyes. I felt his body grow hot and I'm not sure if it's from the fever this time.

)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(

I zipped up my black and white striped dress and fluffed out the off white petticoat underneath. Silver and black eye makeup, false lashes to make mine look a little fuller, and a deep purplish pink lip color. My hair was pinned back and my loose curls just tumbled down my back. I pulled up my lace patterned knee-highs and started to fasten my Mary-Jane platforms. I hate dressing in my bathroom, but Jeff was finally sleep. After he pulled me into bed with him, I just laid still with him until he fell asleep, which didn't take very long. He was still sick after all.

I just managed to change my clothes when I heard Papa call for me from downstairs. I quickly and quietly left my room. I shut the door carefully behind me and went downstairs. The second I walked into the kitchen, Papa grabbed my arm roughly and looked at me. I winced as his fingers bit into my arm and tried to pull away from him. He pushed me towards Gwyn, who caught me and steadied me.

"Don't you push her you son of a-"

"Fuckin' lying bitch! She doesn't even look sick. Why the hell are you in my house?!" Papa yelled.

"Fuck you Robert! This house is Liu's! She inherited it after Armella passed. You should be grateful she lets your drunkard ass live here!" Gwyn shot back. I held onto Gwyn's shoulder, holding her back. I could tell by her expression that she was ready to pick up a stool and swing at Papa. I looked at Papa. He was hung over, wearing his work clothes. I cleared my throat.

"H-how was work Papa?" I said softly, hoping to divert the conversation. He turned and looked at me.

"It was work. Not like you know jack shit about it." he grunted. I looked down and blushed. _I've had part time jobs Papa… you just don't know about them,_ I thought to myself.

He grunted and reached into the refrigerator, grabbing a can of beer. He cracked it open and drank some.

"I'm fucking done with this. Do whatever you want. I'm going to bed. You better not make any goddamn noise while I'm asleep or else." He stormed out of the kitchen. Gwyn poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down at the island, her head in her hands.

"He pisses me off so fucking much! UGH!" She rubbed her face and looked at me. Her eyes were red rimmed with exhaustion. I rubbed her back and she sighed.

"Liu… you have to get that kid out of here and soon." She said softly, wrapping her arm around me in a hug.

"I know…. I know. His fever broke, so he should be better soon… a couple of days and he'll be gone." I hugged her and pulled away.

"What are you going to do today? I know you don't have to work." I opened the utility drawer and took out the spare zipper and an antique silver key.

She shrugged, "I dunno, I'll probably run home to shower and change then come back here." She took a sip of her coffee. I nodded.

"Okay… I'll be in the sewing room today. I accidentally tore Jeff's sweater, and I need to fix it." I held up the zipper. She looked at me, her eyebrows raised.

"The sewing room? You haven't been in there since…" her voice trailed off. I swallowed and nodded. Neither one of us wanted to continue the conversation, so I quickly changed the subject to something else.

After Gwyn left, I walked upstairs to the room at the end of the hall and stood in front of the door. I didn't say it, but I haven't been in the sewing room since Mama got sick. It was our special place. Now I needed to use the sewing machine that was in the room. I took a deep breath and turned the key.


	15. Our Special Place

It was dark and dusty, and the air was stale. The cream colored room felt so empty, despite the tables and shelves lined with plush animals of all shapes and sizes, adjustable tailoring mannequins placed in the corners of the room, and the large lace covered craft table that held a sewing machine and baskets of fabrics, scraps, pins and various pin cushions. The sun was shining through the faded dusty rose colored lace curtains, highlighting the floating dust particles. This was our Special Place; Mama and I would make dresses and plushies, and talk about everything. She would tell me stories about her childhood, about my father, about the shenanigans she and my aunts would get into, and a lot of fables and fairytales. She taught me how to sew and embroider. She made my first dolly dress here. I wiped a tear away from my eye, feeling thankful for waterproof make-up.

I pulled back the curtain slowly and opened the window. A gust of wind blew through the room, stirring the heavy layer of dust and cobwebs. I coughed and fanned the dust away from my face.

"So dusty…" I said to myself. It had been five years since Mama or I had entered this room. Mama's health had taken a bad turn the last time she was here…

_"__Mama, you really should rest. You still need your rest." I said, sitting next to her on the work bench. She giggled and waved at me. At the time, she still looked relatively healthy._

_ "__Oh Liuie, relax! I'm fine. It was just a bad cough. I want to finish this dress for you!" she held up an unfinished long skirt, inside-out and pinned together. I shook my head and sat next to her._

_ "__Mama the dress can wait, you need to get better." I shook my head. She patted my hand and rethreaded the sewing machine._

_ "__I'm just so excited to finish your prom dress. My baby is growing up! A high school graduate! And you got accepted into that art school in New York you've had your eye on! Oh I'm just so proud of you Liuie, I want to you to have a beautiful dress for prom. You'll be the belle of the ball!" she giggled again, a wonderful smile lighting up her face. I couldn't help but smile._

_ "__Oh Mama, prom isn't for another few weeks… wow!" I picked up the sketch for my prom dress that Mama drew. It was very detailed, with a form fitting embroidered sweetheart bodice and a large ball gown skirt. A tiara and sheer veil and fingerless, lace arm length gloves accompanied the dress._

_ "__Mama, this dress… it looks like a wedding dress for a princess, not a prom dress!" Mama took the sketch from me and looked at it, smiling._

_ "__You're my princess Liu, and you deserve to look like a princess. You only go to prom once you know. I'm just so happy you're going with your friend Tommy. He's such a sweet boy." She started coughing. I rubbed her back and gave her the glass of water on the table. She sipped it and calmed down. _

_ "__Are you sure you don't want to take it easy? The dress can wait another day?" I asked softly. She gave me a stern look._

_ "__For the last time Liu, I'm OK." She brushed my then long bangs out of my face and smiled. "You don't have to worry so much sweetie. Your mama is strong. Now young lady, you have some homework to do, so go on. I'm going to work on this dress a bit and I'll call for you to see if it fits properly." She kissed my forehead. I sighed as I left the room._

_)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(_

_I hadn't heard anything from Mama in a couple of hours. I put my pen down and pushed myself away from my research paper. I stretched as I heard a knock on the door. _

_ "__Yes? I turned as a then sober Papa opened the door carefully._

_ "__Hey kiddo, I made dinner tonight; Hamburgers and French fries. I'm going to get Arlen from the garage. Can you tell your mother that dinner is ready?" _

_ "__Sure!" I got up as Papa went down stairs to get my brother. I stretched again and walked to the sewing room. I knocked on the door and opened it slowly._

_ "__Mama? Papa said that dinner's rea-!" I gasped. She was on the floor, unresponsive and a puddle of blood next to her mouth on the floor next to her. I knelt down and shook her gently. Her skin was so cold._

_ "__Mama? Mama?! MAMA!" I took a deep breath and turned to the door._

_ "__PAPA!"_

_)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(_

_It was cancer. The doctor said that it was lung cancer. Mama never smoked a day in her life… Chemotherapy had started immediately after her diagnosis. Five years… and she fought so hard… I never went to prom. I started school late…. Papa started drinking. Arlen became distant. It was just me and Mama. And I haven't been back to our special place since._

)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(

"Done!"

I took off the face mask and wiped my hands on the dusk rag. The room was now much cleaner without all the dust and cobwebs. It took me a little over two hours, but I managed to dust and reorganize the sewing room. It was looking like our special place again. I took off my apron and sat down at the workbench. I unscrewed the old needle in the sewing machine, which was snapped in half, and inserted the new one. I threaded the bobbin and manually reset the machine into a default position. I plugged it into the outlet and switched it on. It sounded just fine; however I took a scrap of cloth and did some test stitches. I pressed my foot against the pedal, feeling satisfied at the speed of the needle's smooth movement into the cloth.

"Perfect! It still works perfectly! Like it was still being used… this is good…" I grabbed Jeff's hoodie and aligned the zipper halves with the pinned parts and, flipping on the small detail light on the machine, got to work.

It took a little over an hour and a half, but I was finished. I closed off the last stitch and trimmed off the excess thread. I flexed my fingers and rubbed my eyes, then examined my handiwork. I had not only sewn on the zipper, but I also lined the inside of the hoodie with wool cloth, both to reinforce and insulate it. I turn it inside-out and zipped it up. It was finished. I got up from the bench, folded up the hoodie, unplugged the machine and left the room.

I locked the door behind me and, quietly opened my Papa's bedroom door. I carefully peeked in on him. He was snoring loudly and I carefully shut the door. I sighed and walked back into my room.

"Jeff?" I said softly as I opened my door. He was sitting up in the bed, his head in his hands. I sat next to him and rubbed his back. He looked up at me.

"Are you okay?" I asked. He nodded and leaned his head on my shoulder. I sighed, massaging his back soothingly.

"What's wrong? Did you have another nightmare?" he shook his head, but I knew he was lying.

"Where were you? I woke up and you weren't here…" he whispered. I place the sweater onto the rocking chair and wrapped my arms around him. I felt him tense as I rested my chin on his shoulder.

"What….?" He whispered, but I shushed him.

"Shh…. It's okay. I'm here for you…" I heard him gasp softly. He froze for a moment, then he relaxed. His arms snaked around my waist as I rubbed his back. I felt him tremor and I heard a sob. _I knew it…. Another nightmare. _ I sighed and ran my fingers though his hair soothingly. I sat with him like this for a while, letting him sob on my shoulder. I just comforted him. I mean, what else could I do?

I felt him squeeze my waist as I loosened my hold on him. He pulled back slowly and looked at me. His eyes were red and tears were streaming slowly down his scarred cheeks. My eyes widened in surprise. I've never seen him so vulnerable.

"Jeff…" I said softly. I gently places my hand on his cheek and wiped away his tears with my thumb. His eyes fluttered close and he leans his cheek into my hand. I blushed at the sudden affection.

"Kid…." He whispered and opened his eyes. I looked at him, my cheeks burning more at the intensity of his gaze. _What…what is he…?_ He leans close to me.

"Why is it…" he said softly, his voice still rough with fever. "Why is it that when you're around, I feel…" he leaned closer, his face mere inches from mine. He held my hand to his cheek and tighten his grip around my waist. My lips parted slightly in surprise.

"Jeff… I-"

A loud pounding on my door cut me off.

"LIU! Get your ass downstairs! I'm hungry! Make yourself useful and make me something to eat." Papa's voice boomed from outside my bedroom door. I jumped and got up from the bed.

"Yes, Papa! I'll be down right away!" I said through the door. I looked at Jeff and frowned. He looked at me, as if begging me to stay. I bit my lip and looked down. He was still holding my hand, and I gently squeezed it and pulled away.

"I'm sorry…" I said softly and walked out of the room.


	16. Why Do I Care?

_I still felt the warmth of her hand on my face. Fuck... I rested my head in my hands again. What was that? That moment… it felt so heavy. I closed my eyes. I still felt her warmth, her gentleness. I could still smell her. Her scent enveloped my body, comforting me. I don't know why now, but she makes me feel…normal. I didn't feel like a monster, a psycho, or a freak when I'm near her. Not that I ever really felt like that, but I don't feel like I'm a pariah with her. I can relax and drop my guard. When did this happen? Is this because of my fever? Even if I try to think back, it's so hazy… that fever took so much out of me… and all I remember is her… her face, her smell, her voice… her touch. Why? Oh, fuck if I know._

_I laid back down and turned my head to the spot on the bed where she was sitting just moments ago. It was still warm. I turned and my eyes wandered to the rocking chair. There was a familiar folded bundle resting there._

_ "__What the…?" I picked it up and sat up. This was my sweater… but, it's different. It felt thicker and there was a zipper in the front. The old blood stains were also gone. Upon closer examination, I found that it had been torn. _

_ "__How?" I said to myself. How did it tear? I've had this sweater since I was a kid… it fits much better now. When I was a kid, it was very oversized. I had other ones, but this one was my favorite. How did it tear?_

_ "__Did she fix it?" I rubbed the inner lining. It was a darker, thicker material, like wool or something. The stitching was amazing. The zipper was sewn on so neatly that, if I didn't know better, I would have thought that the sweater was made this way originally. _

_I couldn't even be mad. I should be… but the fact that she took the time to repair it… it made me feel… weird. Like a good weird. The feeling was unfamiliar, and it made me feel uncomfortable. I felt my face heat up. I rubbed my cheek._

_ "__Stupid fever…" I muttered as I looked at the sweater. I held it up to my face and felt the softness of the wool; I could smell her perfume faintly on the material. I felt my heart beginning to palpitate. And I felt nauseous, like my stomach was twisting into knots. I shook my head and took deep breaths to try and keep myself from vomiting. I stood up and walked into the bathroom. I leaned over the sink, my stomach doing heavy backflips. It smelled so strongly of her in here…. _

_I heaved into the sink; nothing coming up but it helped to calm my stomach. I took deeps breaths and looked at myself in the mirror. Something was different… what it was I couldn't tell you… but something…. Something is different now. I touched my cheek… the one she touched. I still felt her soft, warm hand from earlier, and my heart started to thump loudly again. What is wrong with me?_

_As I sat back onto the bed, I heard yelling from downstairs. I looked at the door, curious about what the yelling was about. I heard a loud crash and a female voice crying out. There was crying and I felt a heat rise to my chest. I jumped out of the bed, but I heard another crash and another, louder female voice started shouting downstairs. I froze as I heard thumping coming closer to the room. The door flew open and she ran past me into the bathroom, covering her face. She slammed the door and started crying. I bit my lip and shut the bedroom door. I knocked on the bathroom door._

_ "__Kid?! Open the door." I said through the door._

_ "__No! N-no Jeff…. Just… just leave me alone!" her muffled voice said. I heard rustling and running water. She was still sobbing._

_I turned the handle, but the door didn't open. I pounded on the door._

_ "__Open the damn door!" I shouted through the door. I pounded my fist onto the wooden door again. A weird feeling of panic was rising in my chest. Why do I care? Why do I want to see her so badly right now? What is wrong with me?_

_I jiggled the door knob and pushed my shoulder against the door. "Jeff! Please stop!" I didn't stop. I heard the shouting and screaming getting louder. Were they coming closer? _

_I was so focused on the shouting that I almost didn't hear the click of the lock. The door was opened and I stumbled in. She shut the door behind me and locked it again._

_ "__They're coming upstairs…. Gwyn came back… but Papa is enraged… it was my fault…" her voice wavered. She faced the door. I straightened up and the counter caught my eye. An open first aid kit, along with a bottle of Bactine and cotton pads, a few of them bloody. The second I saw the blood I felt my own blood boil. _

_ "__Kid… What happened?" I fought to control the rage in my voice. I saw her flinch and she shook her head, refusing to face me._

_ "__I-it's nothing. Really…" she said, but I wasn't buying that shit. I grabbed her arm and spun her around. Her face was tear-stained, makeup smudged, her lips parted and quivering, her hazel eyes gray with sadness. I felt my heart beat hard and fast in my chest, and my stomach twisted into painful knots. She was so…. Beautiful. A trickle of blood ran down the side of her head from her scalp. I felt my hands shake with pure rage. I grabbed her by the shoulders and moved my face closer to hers._

_ "__What… the fuck… happened?!" I said, trying to keep my voice level. I didn't want to scare her, but I was so angry. Whoever did this, would pay dearly. She was shaking._

_ "__Jeff…. You're hurting me…" she said softly. I loosened my grip on her shoulders and she looked down._

_ "__It was my fault. Papa…H-he got mad and threw a plate… I ducked but a big piece still hit me. I-I'm okay… really. It's just a cut..." she said softly, but I wasn't listening anymore. _

_I saw red. I saw fucking red. Why I was so mad, I didn't know. I just want to fucking kill that son of a bitch. I'll do it with my bare hands if I have to. I moved her out of the way._

_ "__Jeff?! What are you doing?" she cried. I unlocked the door._

_ "__I'm going to fucking kill him." I said in a low voice. I suddenly felt her arms around my waist, tightly holding me._

_ "__Jeff no! No, no, no don't kill my father! Please don't!" she pressed her face into my back and started sobbing. I froze at her contact and took a deep breath. As much as I wanted to fucking strangle the fuck, she needed me. I bit the inside of me cheek and turned around. She hugged me, her face buried into my chest and crying. I awkwardly placed me arms around her and patted her head. _

_ "__O-okay… okay stop that…" I said uncomfortably. I've never comforted someone who was crying. Usually when a person started crying in front of me, I'd shut them up by slitting their throats and disemboweling them. I didn't want to do that to her…_

_Wait… I didn't want to hurt her? I looked at her and felt my heart palpitate again, her small frame pressed against me. Fuck… did I like her? Well, I don't hate her… Why?_

_I continued to pet her head and ran my fingers through her silky soft hair. It was calming me down as well as her. Her sobs started to ebb away. She looked up at me, her mascara running, her long, lush lashes dewy with tears, her cheeks red and her plump lips swollen from pressing against my chest. I swallowed, my throat dry and raw. I took deep breaths, trying to keep calm and collected. She was so damn pretty. I've never seen anyone look so sexy and appetizing when crying before. I became very aware of my hands on her back and waist. She had a small waist, and wide hips. Coupled with her sizable breasts and slender frame, she was so sexy. All this material from her dress hid all of her sexiness, so I never realized how much of a woman she actually is. Being so small and wearing such childish clothing, I just thought she was a kid. I stared at her lips, having the most overwhelming urge to bite them._

_ "__Jeff?" she said softly, snapping me out of my trance. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath._

_ "__I'm okay." I said curtly. I pushed her backwards slowly and sat her on the toilet. Taking the Bactine and a clean cotton pad, I saturated it and crouched down to her level. I pushed her hair out of the way of the cut and gently pressed the cotton pad to the cut. She flinched._

_ "__Owie!" she moaned. I tilted her head down a bit and kept the pressure to stop the bleeding. Her face, contorted with discomfort, relaxed when the Bactine began to take effect. I carefully wiped away the excess blood and saturated another cotton pad. I examined the cut. It wasn't wide or deep. _

_ "__Good," I muttered under my breath. "It isn't a deep cut." I pressed the clean cotton pad onto the cut and held it there with moderate pressure. I looked at her, her eyes swollen and red from her tears, her breathing deep and uneven. She was looking at me, examining my face. I wonder what kind of expression I had to have her look at me with curiosity and caution. I relaxed my face and cleared my throat._

_ "__How's that, kid?" I said, nodding towards the cut. She shrugged._

_ "__It doesn't hurt anymore…" she said softly, her voice thick with sorrow and shame. I took the cotton pad off her head, satisfied to see very little blood on it. I threw away the pads and took a paper towel, dampened it and began to wipe the blood, make-up and tears away from her face. She closed her eyes as I caressed her cheeks with the cool paper towel, a contented sigh escaping her lips. I felt the heat rise in my core as I touched her. I held her face gently and leaned closer to her. I wanted to bite her lips so badly, and taste her tongue on mine. I wonder how soft it would feel…_

_Loud voices sobered me as I heard them come much closer. I pulled away from her as the shouting voices came from the other side of the door. I cursed myself mentally for what I was doing. Why did I do that? Why do I care so much about what may happen to her? I stood in front of her as I thought this, ready to kill whoever came through that door._


	17. Tense

I jumped at the sound of the shouting and pounding on the door. It was Gwyn and Papa shouting at each other. Jeff had stood up and was standing in front of me, looking murderous again. I shivered. He looked scary, and I didn't want him to kill Papa. I have to stop him! I grabbed his arm gently and stood up. He pushed me behind him defensively.

"Jeff… please…" I said pleadingly. He didn't answer, or even acknowledge me. I tightened my grip on his arm. I felt him tense. _ Please Jeff,_ I willed him to hear my thoughts, _please don't kill him._

All of a sudden, something hard slammed into the door, followed by a loud thud. He thrust his arm behind him, holding me behind him as he crouched defensively, guarding me. I held onto his shirt, and braced myself against his back. It was silent for a good while, and neither of us moved. I held onto Jeff tightly. I felt his heartbeat through his shirt; it was strong and steady. I pressed my face against his back to feel his heartbeat. His back was hard with muscle, and so warm. He tensed and turned his head to me slightly.

"Kid…" he said, his voice surprisingly gentle. I slid my hand into his, for both comfort and restraint. He squeezed my hand, stopping mine from shaking. I bit my lip as we both listened out. There was a dragging sound, then silence. I started to get anxious. _Gwyn? Papa? Oh god, what happened?!_ I couldn't move, the silence was heavy enough to root me in place. Jeff relaxed his pose and exhaled. He turned to me.

"Kid… I think… that bi- uh, that doctor, I think she knocked out your shit-ball of a dad." His lips twitched into a faint smile. I looked up at him, my brows arched in surprise.

"Are you sure? …I mean, I know Gwyn knows some self-defense, but you think that she…?" my voice dropped. Jeff patted my head and unlocked the door. I stood behind him as he opened the door.

"… It's safe…" he stepped out cautiously and I followed behind him. I looked around my room. Some of the items on my night table and desk were knocked over and moved around, but there wasn't anyone around. I sighed.

"Liu?" I turned my head towards the door. Gwyn was standing there, her hair a mess and her face red. She was out of breath.

"Gwyn!" I ran to her and hugged her. She hugged me back, then pulled me to arm's length to examine me.

"Are you okay, baby girl? Are you hurt? What did he do to you?" she said frantically, turning my head side to side. She found the cut that was under my bangs.

"I'm okay… Jeff helped me clean the wound. It isn't deep and it doesn't hurt. I'm okay, really I am." I said reassuringly. Her eyes shot over to Jeff, who was standing by the bathroom door. I looked at him; he was looking away from us, his arms folded across his chest. The expression on Gwyn's face was somber, and it makes me think for a split second that she wasn't talking about Papa.

"I'm glad you aren't hurt. I heard that plate crash and you crying and I just lost it…" Gwyn shook her head.

"Gwyn…. Where's Papa?" I asked looking around.

"He came upstairs to hurt you: he was threatening to beat you. So I slammed his head against the door and knocked him out." I gasped in shock.

Suddenly, I heard laughter. It was a dark laugh, and it made me feel cold. I shivered and looked at Jeff. He was laughing, almost maniacally. He had doubled over, his arms still folded, laughing. Gwyn pulled me behind her. Jeff noticed and stopped laughing. He frowned. He walked up to Gwyn and stood closer to her, an undeniable feeling of hatred radiating from them both. I took a step back as I looked at them. The way they stared at each other, it was like they were having a silent argument. It felt so tense and uncomfortable. I stepped in between them and placed a hand on Jeff's arm.

"Um…" I said softly.

I felt Jeff relax at my touch. He looked at me, his eyes gentle. I gave him a small smile, reassuring him that I'm okay. I looked at Gwyn, who had a strange expression on her face. It looked like a mixture of confusion and surprise. She shook her head.

"Liu, you need to be careful." She said. I nodded.

"I know… Papa is getting worse…" I sighed. I shook my head as she went downstairs to make some coffee. If only Arlen were home already; he knew how to get Papa to calm down, and I wouldn't have to deal with him alone. I still have to wait and see when he'll be coming back.

I felt a weight on my head suddenly, breaking me out of my train of thought. I looked up and saw Jeff. He wasn't looking at me, but he gently patted my head. _Is he trying to comfort me?_

"Jeff…"

"I could kill him." He said quietly.

"Huh?"

He looked at me, his face set in a serious, impassive expression. He leaned his face closer to mine, his voice low, and his hand cupping my chin gently. "I could kill him... and you'll never have to deal with him again. No more pain, no more stress. He'll never hurt you again."

"Jeff…" I breathed. He placed his thumb on my lip to shush me.

"It'll be easy too… I could go from here," he placed his finger lightly on my neck slid it across slowly, "to here." I shivered at the contact as he stopped under my ear. He tilted his head, his blue eyes darkening, becoming almost black with murderous intent. "Or, I could gut him, and make him suffer…" he traced his finger from the center of my throat, ghosted it over my chest and stopped right above my navel. His lips twitched into a smile and he started to giggle. I took a step back, afraid. His eyes snapped to mine and widened. He dropped his hand, frowning and looked away.

"I… I'm…" he shook his head. I nodded and took a deep breath.

"I know…." I turned away from him without another word and went downstairs.

)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(

How could have I forgotten that Jeff was a serial killer? These past few days taking care of him has shown me someone other than a murderous maniac. He's an enigma for sure, but not once have I seen something so terrifying as what I saw earlier. It was almost as if he became an entirely different person. I pulled my brush though my hair, getting it tangle free so that I could braid it for tonight. I was already dressed in my pajamas, a light blue baby doll negligee. I pulled my hair over my shoulder and braided it loosely. It was becoming so long; it had just about reached my hips. I sighed as I tied a ribbon on the end.

I looked at my bathroom door, knowing Jeff was on the other side, sitting on my bed. After his offer to kill my father, he became silent. He hasn't said a word to me or Gwyn all evening. Even during dinner, he ate in silence despite the fact I made him something more appetizing than the oatmeal I've been making him eat. Gwyn raved about the soup I made, which I could tell had annoyed Jeff, but he still hadn't said a word. It was like he had shut down.

I opened my door. Jeff wasn't on my bed anymore. Instead, he was out on my balcony, smoking. I shivered at the cold air that blew in as headed to the window. He was leaning against the rail, lost in thought looking at the full moon. He was wearing his sweater. I stepped out onto the balcony, rubbing my arms.

"It's pretty, isn't it?" I said to him softly, looking up at the moon. He didn't say anything. We stood in silence for a long while. I shivered, feeling the chill of the autumn air down to my bones.

"Thank you." Jeff said suddenly.

"Huh?" I said, surprised.

"My sweater… thank you." He didn't look at me, but I nodded anyway.

"Any time… Ah!" I sneezed. Jeff looked over at me and gasped softly. His eyes widened slightly and his lips parted in surprise. I tilted my head, confused.

"What?" I said softly, feeling a blush creep up my cheeks. He turned and stood in front of me, his now blue eyes smoldering and gentle. He touched my arm gently and slid it up to my neck slowly, gently cupping my neck with his fingers combing the hair at the nape.

"You're so… cold." He said quickly, as if changing what he was really going to say at the last second. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah… it's pretty cold out here. Let's go back inside." I took his hand and lead him back into the room. As I closed the window, I felt his arms wrap around my waist. I froze as his face nuzzled the crook of my neck. I closed my eyes as I could feel his unspoken words flow through me.

"It's okay," I whispered softly to him, "I forgive you, I'm not afraid, nor am I mad." I turn my head and kissed his cheek softly. He gasped and I felt a tremor go through him. I turned my body and wrapped my arms around his neck. He tightened his arms around me.

"Kid…" he said, his voice low and tender. He looked at me, his eyes radiating warmth. I blushed as I looked into them, and I felt my heart beat strangely.

"Jeff…" I whispered shyly, laying my head at the crook of his neck. I could feel his heartbeat, beating hard and strong. Was he feeling the same way I was?

We stood this way for some time, neither of us making a move to part any time soon. He was running his fingers in my hair. I looked up at him. There was a look of uncertainty, then determination as he lowered his face to mine. I felt my cheek burn as my eyes fluttered close.

"Kid…"

I opened my eyes. "Jeff, I…"

Suddenly my phone started to ring, breaking the tension between us. He sighed and turned away. I answered the phone, the mixed feelings of disappointment and relief heavy in my stomach.


	18. Temptation & Decision

"Hello?" I said into the receiver, a little annoyed.

_"__Chibi? Is that you?"_ Said a deep baritone on the other end.

"Arlen?!"

_"__Chibi! It's so awesome to hear you again!"_ said my step brother.

"Yeah… Why haven't you contacted us you big Jerk-face?" I scolded. He laughed

_"__Haaa… yeah about that; I sort of lost my phone while we were touring. We've been so busy I haven't had the time to get a new one." _

"Why didn't you email us? Or send us letters? You know our address, and I know you have your laptop, so what's your excuse?"

_"__Wait, you haven't been getting my postcards?"_ he sounded surprised.

"Arlen…" I sighed but he cut me off.

_"__Seriously Liu, I have been sending letters and postcards. At least once a week. Don't tell me you haven't been getting them…"_ he sounded serious.

"No… I haven't received anything from you for the last six months…"

I heard him curse. I sighed.

_"__Has dad been checking the mail? He might be throwing them away."_

"Uh yeah he has… it's possible. But why would he do that?"

"_Well… the last time I called, he and I had a bit of a falling out."_

_"_Why? What happened?" I sat down on the edge of my bed.

_"__Oh the usual. He wanted me to come back home, finish school and get a stable, pencil pusher job like he has. Not going to happen. Besides, the guys and I are doing awesomely. Our music has gotten some attention and we've been doing opening gigs for a lot of local and underground bands. We even have the money and equipment now to record some EPs."_ The excitement in his voice was contagious.

"Really? That's great Brother… but when are you all coming back?"

_"__Oh, yeah, about that. We'll be back sometime tomorrow."_

"So soon?! From your last call I thought you were coming home in the middle of the week?" he laughed at my surprised reaction.

_"__Nahh… well, we thought so too, but you know Ruvel. He doesn't sleep, so he drove us for like three days straight. It really cut our travel time. We're right outside the city limits, shacked up in a motel. We're all pretty tired, so we'll be heading out by like tomorrow afternoon and be home in no time."_

"That's great…" I said quietly. I had felt Jeff lay on the bed and lowered my voice so he could get some rest.

_"__Is everything okay?"_ he said, full of concern.

"Yeah… yeah everything is okay." I lied, feigning optimism.

_"__Okay… well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow Chibi. Night."_

"Good night Arlen." I hung up the phone and rubbed my eyes. I looked over my shoulder and saw Jeff laying on his side, facing away from me.

"Jeff…?" I whispered. No response. He must have fallen asleep. I got up from the bed slowly and settled myself into my rocking chair. I would have slept in the spare room downstairs, but Gwyn is going to sleep there tonight. I had told her that there wasn't anything to worry about, but she insisted. I guess she is still worried about both Papa and Jeff hurting me. I placed my blanket around my legs and settled comfortably. I switched off my lamp, letting the full moon's light bathe my room from the window.

"Sweet dreams…" I whispered as I closed my eyes, letting the exhaustion from today's events wash over me.

)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(

_I sat up as soon as I heard her deep, even breathing. She looks so peaceful when she sleeps. I stretched out my back, wincing at the sharp cracks it made. I moved carefully and quietly, so as to now wake her up. I grabbed my now clean and repaired clothes and changed into them. I folded the sweatpants, keeping on the t-shirt for extra warmth. I looked at myself in her cheval mirror, now fully dressed and feeling more like my beautiful self. I wasn't one hundred percent, but I was well enough to make it back to my hideout. It was time for me to go._

_I looked over to where she was sleeping. She was shivering slightly. I leaned over her and carefully lifted her out of the rocking chair. I was surprised to feel how light she was; it took no effort at all to lift her. I held her warm body in my arms as I turned to place her in bed. She wrapped her arms around my neck and nuzzled her face into my collar. I froze as she did, feeling her warmth and her soft skin against mine. I growled softly, frustrated at her for being so small and sweet, her scent overwhelming me and making my body react in appealing, yet unwanted ways. _

_I took a deep breath and carefully laid her onto the bed. I loosened her arms from around my neck, but she didn't let go._

_ "__C'mon…" I coaxed gently, "If you don't let me go… I might do something evil…" I looked at her sleeping face, so innocent and peaceful. I lowered my face to hers, hardly daring to breathe. I licked my lips and held my breath as I leaned forward and placed my lips just mere centimeters from hers. I felt my eyelids drop in anticipation as I hovered over her. I could almost taste the softness over her lips and the sweetness of her tongue. I wanted to taste every inch of her, to ravish and defile her, to make her scream and bleed._

_A soft moan from her plump and tender lips snapped me out of my trance. She turned her head and her arms unraveled from my neck. I pulled myself away quickly and shook my head. This… this is why I need to leave. I looked at her sleeping form and felt myself grow hot. Her sheer nightgown shadowed and silhouetted all of her tempting curves, leaving little to the imagination. My heart started beating funnily again as I scanned my eyes up her smooth legs, up her thighs to the hem of her gown. For a moment I could imagine my hands sliding up her smooth skin, pass the hem of her gown and to her soft and forbidden places. I could almost hear her sighs and moans as I bit the tender flesh of her thighs ever upwards. My chest started to hurt, my breathing heavy._

_I turned away from her, cursing at myself. This isn't right. I can't take it! She makes me feel like this, and I don't even know if I like it or hate it! It was driving me crazy… well, crazier. I shook my head violently, gripping at my hair. Fucking shit! I can't take this shit anymore! The longer I'm with her, the more I want to touch her. These feelings are getting stronger, and I didn't like it. That's it! I'm fucking leaving! I huffed and turned to face her. The instant I saw her sleeping face, I felt a kind of tranquility surge through me. A whine escaped my lips, and confusion flooded me. Why does she make me feel this way? I sat down on her rocking chair and just stared at her, trying to understand why I feel so weirdly around her._

_I was aware of a presence in the room, and it woke me from my silent reverie. I opened my eyes, only to see that doctor bitch standing next to me, holding a star shaped bag in her hands. She handed the bag to me without a word. I looked at it, confused._

_ "__I refuse to touch what's inside…" she whispered. I took the bag from her and opened it, surprised to find my knife fitting snuggly inside. I pulled it out, and felt a smile pull across my face. It felt so good to be complete again. I slipped my knife back into my pocket and stood up._

_ "__Are you going to leave now?" She asked. I nodded._

_ "__I don't need to be here anymore." I mumbled. I looked at the kid sleeping, her head was turned towards me, her peaceful face enticing me to wake her and defile her._

_ "__You're not going to at least let Liu know?" the doctor bitch asked, crossing her arms. I smirked, letting out a low laugh._

_She shook her head. "You should at least let her know. She's going to worry about you." That made me laugh harder._

_ "__What makes you think that this brat would give a damn if I were here or not?" I sniped at her, both annoyed and curious. _

_ "__Because she cares about you, you ass-hat wearing ass-clown." She sighed, shaking her head. I just stared at her in disbelief._

_ "__Bullshit." I stated, looking away from her. That kid cares about me? Impossible. No one is able to care about a maniac like me. _

_Doctor bitch just shrugged at me. "Believe what you want, but Liu doesn't just take care of someone without caring about them. She's too kind, she cares about everyone. I don't think she has a single angry or hate filled bone in her body."_

_ "__That's going to get her killed one day." I whispered, feeling concern swell inside of me at the thought that anyone could hurt her. Damn her naivety! _

_ "__Yeah I know. That's why I do any and everything I can to protect her. She's my precious niece." Her voice was sad. I looked at her, her face full of worry and sorrow. She then looked at me, a steely glint in her eyes and her face set in grim determination._

_ "__I will kill anyone who'll hurt her" she said darkly, knowing she meant me. I snickered, feeling the edged of my scarred mouth split slightly as I smiled. I licked the blood away._

_ "__You mean me, dont'cha bitch?" I laughed turning to face her. She stepped up to me, her short frame barely the height of my shoulder. I was itching to slicer her open._

_Suddenly, I heard a soft groan. I looked to see the kid turning in her bed, her face distorted in mild discomfort. Impulsively, I reached down and gently stroked her cheek. Her face relaxed and she became still and at peace again. I felt my lips twitch into a smile I felt her warm, soft skin against my cold hands._

_ "…__You like her, don't you?" the Doc-bitch said. I pulled my hand away and looked at her, my eyes wide. Me? Like…. Her? Do I… like her? I…_

_NO! Impossible! I don't "like" anyone. I pushed the doc-bitch aside with my shoulder, and flung open the window almost violently. I took in deep breath of the cold autumn air and then jumped over the balcony rail. I rolled on the ground, to cushion the fall and stood back up. I looked back up at the balcony, my heart beating hard enough to hurt. I threw my hood up and turned away, fighting the urge to run back into the room._

_)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(_

It was the cold air that woke me up. I sat up in my bed and shivered. _Wait…when did I get into my bed?_ I looked around my dark room. Where was Jeff? I looked at my clock, it was four in the morning. I got up to from my bed, and walked to my open window. I stepped out onto my balcony. "Did... he leave?" I whispered. Suddenly, I felt my eyes well with tears as sorrow crept over me. He had left, without saying good bye.…

Jeff was gone.


	19. Worry

I sat on my bed, hugging my knees to my chest. I wish he at least woke me up to say good bye. I was worried; he still wasn't one hundred percent. I had ran outside after I discovered he was gone. I searched around my house and yard, only to discover he was really gone. Gwyn told me that he left in the middle of the night. I could tell she was happy that he was gone. I don't know why I felt so sad, but I was. Having Jeff around was actually really nice. It was nice to have someone around. I didn't feel so alone with him here. Sure I had Gwyn, but she has her own life with her career and her lover. I couldn't intrude on her life like that, especially since she's done so much for me in my life. I didn't cry though. I didn't really have a reason to, despite feeling like it when I discovered him gone. I expected him to leave, I just didn't think it would be so soon. It had only been a couple of days. A weekend really; and today's Monday. The way I'm feeling now, makes me glad I don't have any classes today. This sucks.

"Liu?" I heard Gwyn say through my door. She pushed it open slightly, poking her head in. My eyes shifted to her. She looked exhausted, her face pale and dark circles under her eyes. Scrappy pushed the door open and pounced onto my bed, meowing for my attention and affection. I scratched my cat's head and sighed as Gwyn walked into my room carrying a tray. She set the tray onto my night table and sat next to me on the bed, mimicking my posture. I gave her a small smile.

"How are you feeling Liuie?" she said, nudging my arm with hers. I sighed and stretched out my legs.

"Hmmm… I'm okay I guess. I mean, I expected him to leave… I guess I just didn't want to acknowledge it…. It got… comfortable with him, y'know what I mean? Since Arlen's been gone, I haven't had any company other than Papa and you… but you're always busy with work and Papa…. Well Papa isn't in a good place right now." I looked down, feeling sorrow creep up again. Gwyn hugged me and rubbed my back.

"I'm sorry kiddo. I wish things were different. But what can you do? I mean… I want to take you out of this place and send Robert straight to hell, but he helps pay for your school and stuff… and the debts from the hospital. I know you can't pay those off on your own. Ugh…" she rubbed the back of her neck and sighed dramatically.

"I know this all sucks big time Liu, but you can't let yourself be brought down. Keep being your smiley self and you'll be all right." She said in a cheesy, but honest tone. I rolled my eyes and smiled. She was right; if I stayed all gloomy, it wouldn't solve anything. Plus, I know Mama wouldn't have wanted me to be all sad. I should be happy that Jeff is better and gone. He didn't kill me or anyone around me. But still, I kind of feel hurt that he left without saying good bye.

Gwyn got up and handed me the tray with a flourish and a "Ta-da!" which made me laugh. Gwyn wasn't the best cook in the family, or at all as a matter of fact, but she tried to make me bacon and fried eggs with toast for breakfast in bed. The bacon was burnt, as well at the toast, and the eggs were overcook, to the point where they're dry. I shook my head and smiled.

"Thanks Gwyn." I sighed as I took a bite of the burnt toast. The smile on her face made me feel a bit better.

After breakfast, I showered and changed into a baby pink skirt with strawberry designs decorating the hem, a peachy pink lace shirt with white trim, opaque white stockings with crisscrossing ribbon designs and a cream colored petticoat underneath. I shrugged on a cream lace, long sleeved mini jacket and fastened the silver button. I brushed my hair and tied them into two low pigtails. I fastened on my pink leather, two inch dolly shoes, straightening out the leather bow decoration that laid on top. I placed a baby pink bonnet on my head, decorated with embroidered roses and had a cream brim. I tied the bonnet, the cream satin ribbon feeling soft under my chin and my pigtails resting comfortably outside the bonnet and cascading down my shoulders. My makeup had already been done; a soft purple eyeshadow that blended and faded into a gentle lavender color, a slightly metallic lavender eyeliner lining my lids thinly, and my lashes full from a voluminizing mascara. A rosy blush lightly colored my cheeks and blended with my foundation, making my cheeks look airbrushed. A rose pink lipstick shade completed the look, making me look like a hand painted china doll. I slipped on my rose lace fingerless gloves and smiled to myself. I felt much better now that I was dressed, and I was starting to look forward to seeing my step-brother again.

I heard a knock on my bedroom door and Gwyn poked her head through the door. She smiled when she saw me.

"Aaaaawwww! You look so cute Liuie!" she cooed. I smiled shyly.

"Aw thanks Gwyn" I said softly. Even Scrappy, who had been sleeping in my bed the whole time, sat up and meowed at me in a sort of approving way. I picked up my kitty and snuggled him, hearing him purr in affection. I set him down and started for the stairs.

"Hey, do you know what time that doofus and his merry band of dorks are coming home?" Gwyn asked as we descended the stairs. I shrugged.

"He said sometime in the afternoon. I thought he was going to be home later in the week, but he said that Ruvel had been driving for like three days straight, so they're coming back sooner than they've planned." Said as we walked into the kitchen. Gwyn started to refill the coffee maker with fresh water.

"Hmm… Ruvel…Ruvel… wasn't that the Goth kid that used to baby sit you when you two were younger? And didn't you have a huge crush on him?" she said teasingly. I blushed.

"Y-yeah he's the secondary guitarist in Arlen's band…. And I do not have a crush on him!" I said a little louder than I had intended, which warranted a laugh from Gwyn.

"Uh-huh, which is why you're red as a beet right now." She smirked, popping in a K-cup into the coffee maker. I sighed as I pulled out two mugs. I hated when she teased me about my brother's best friend. Ruvel is only five years older than me, and two years older than Arlen, and I did have the world's biggest crush on him, but I haven't seen him much since he started college years ago, and only ever caught glimpses of him whenever the band had practiced in the garage. I couldn't stand to be around the band when they practiced, because their practices would always sound like distorted noise; even thought when they actually played a song they sounded good. But it would mostly be distorted practice noise during the majority of their meet ups.

I sipped at my hot coffee, grimacing when I realized I forgot to add creamer and sugar to it. I shook my head and took out the dairy-free creamer from the refrigerator, hating how dim I can be when I get lost in thought. I poured some creamer into my cup and unlidded the sugar bowl that sat with the salt and pepper in the middle of the island. I scooped four teaspoons into my cup and stirred it while Gwyn watched me, a slight frown set upon her lips.

"How can you drink coffee with all that sugar in it?" she asked.

"How can YOU drink it just straight? Isn't it like super bitter?" I asked in return as I placed the creamer back into the fridge. She shook her head.

"I almost forgot, you don't like bitter things. Haaah well, to each their own." She sighed, taking a large sip of her coffee. I rolled my eyes and took a sip, letting my mind wander.

I thought about Jeff. I know I shouldn't, but I was still a bit worried. Did he make to somewhere safe? Is he resting? How far did he go? Why didn't he at least say good bye to me? I felt my heart pull painfully when my mind thought back to last night, at how affectionate he was being. And how my heart started beating hard when he held me. It might have just been the fever, but I could have sworn that I felt his heart beat hard like mine too… but I seriously doubt it. Jeff the Killer was a psychopathic maniac that lusts for blood and carnage, there was no way he could have any type of feelings like that for me, is there? No…. No I totally doubt it. Besides, he left. He's gone now, and I doubt he'll be coming back here unless he chooses to kill me. I shivered at the thought, although a small part of me is anticipating the thought of seeing him again. What is wrong with me?

I sighed audibly and rested my head in my hands, leaning my elbows on the table despite it being improper.

"What's wrong Liu? Still thinking about that psycho-fucker?" Gwyn asked. I nodded and she rolled her eyes.

"That ass-clown isn't worth the thought Liu. Forget him, it's not worth it. Besides we have other things to worry about, like Arlen's return. We have to clean up the place, maybe even make a cake or a meal or something to welcome him back with."

"Yeah, yeah you're right. This place needs a good dusting and organizing. I should go out and get some stuff for dinner, maybe even get some ingredients for a cake. A spice cake would be perfect for this time of year. Maybe even some chocolate chip pumpkin cookies too." I thought, smiling. I memorized Mama's recipes for sweets from all the years we've spent baking together, so I was anticipating making them. And judging by the look on Gwyn's face, she was too. I smiled as I went to grab my car keys and my wallet. It was better to keep distracted.

)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(

I plopped onto the sofa, the mixed smell of Pine-sol and chocolate and roasted pumpkin lingering in the air, and the music playing off of my iPod blaring through my gummy bear shaped portable speaker.

Gwyn lowered the music and plopped down next to me, pulling off a bandana from her face. "Ugh, this place was filthy! When was the last time we cleaned up here? Like, spring?" She complained as I laughed. We had spent most of the day shopping, cooking and cleaning. Well, I was the one cooking while Gwyn cleaned. But we've managed to make this place sparkle, while simultaneously making a large dinner and dessert for the band. I stretched, feeling super accomplished. And I didn't think about him at all.

We packed up all the cleaning supplies; the mop and broom and bucket and dust rags and liquid cleaners were all unceremoniously shoved into the utility as Gwyn and I high fived each other.

"We did it! All before Papa or Arlen came home." I sighed happily, walking with Gwyn back into the kitchen to check up on the cookies. I looked through the window of the oven and was pleased to see the cookies were almost done.

"They smell fantastic Liuie." My aunt praised, dipping her finger into the bowl of cream cheese frosting I had whipped up for the spice cake. I slapped her hand away.

"Stop that! And thanks… although it'll never be as good as Mama's, but I try." I smiled as I took out an offset spatula and started to frost the two layers of cake. As soon as I was done, I smoothed out the frosting and placed the rest in a piping back so that I could decorate the cake more elegantly. I dripped some red food dye into the piping bag along with the frosting and massaged the bag, when it was mixed in I piped out small pink rosettes and flowers along the cake. Gwyn watched me, smiling.

"You are so much like your mother." She said softly. I looked up and blushed.

"You think so?" I said smiling. She opened her mouth to respond, but the front door suddenly slammed open, causing us both to jump.

"We're back bitches!" A deep voice boomed from the doorway.


	20. Homecoming

"Arlen!" I scolded him as I walked over to the doorway, in which he promptly pulled me into a bear hug.

"Oh my little Chibi! Look how absolutely adorable you are! I've missed you, missed you, missed you soooooooo much!" Arlen exclaimed, holding me in a bear hug and swinging me around. I struggled against his grip.

"Get off you dork!" I laughed. He set me down and laughed. At 5'9", with bright green eyes, tan skin and light brown shoulder length hair with green streaks, my brother didn't change a bit. His hair was longer and the dye was new, but he was still the same dork. The same dork that now grabbed me and put me into a headlock.

"Hey! Hey, hey, hey, lemme gooooo!" I yelled, muffled by his ribs in my face. He just laughed at me.

"'Len, let go of Liu. You're going to scramble her brain." A deep velvety voice said from behind my brother. I felt my face grow really hot as I pushed off my brother. I straightened my bonnet and looked up. There stood a tall, pale man with long black hair tied back with the front long bangs dyed white. His amber eyes shone when he saw me, his sculpted lips forming a warm and affectionate smile. His build was slender yet visibly muscular, and his clothing was a cross between elegant and punk rocker. His pants were form fitting, with slight tears, distressed and littered with strategic decorative stitches, small studs and a chain link belt. He wore a black silk button down with an open collar and a Victorian, steam punk style steel bone male corset vest in a red and black brocade pattern that had a pocket watch in the breast pocket and the silver chain pinned to the lapel. A pair of black polished combat boots completed the look. He held a black duster jacket in his arms, along with a black pork pie hat trimmed with a red band. Ruvel smiled as he held out his arms to me.

I blushed as I shyly entered his embrace, inhaling his cologne; a mix of chocolate, earth and musk. I heard him hum contentedly and smiled.

"Oh Liu, it's been so long" he purred softly in my ear and he straighten up and patted my head affectionately. He looked at me with warmth in his eyes. I blushed and looked down shyly as he appraised me.

"You look so lovely. You've grown to become such a beautiful young woman." He complimented, causing me to feel embarrassed and Arlen to scowl.

"Hey! You two lovebirds gonna keep blocking up the door, or are we just gonna party outside?!" said a high female voice. Faster than I could blink, Ruvel was shoved aside and I was tackled by a hyper, happy girl with blue, purple and pink mermaid hair. Her bracelets and bangles jingled as she bounced up and down as she hugged me. Her blue tutu ruffled between us and I smiled at her colorful appearance as I hugged her back happily.

"Tawny!" I squealed happily. Tawny was the drummer for the band and the only female. She could keep a beat better than anyone else I knew, despite her hyperactivity. She was a bit taller, skinnier and lankier than myself. She often wore tutus and colorful and patterned leggings, along with witty, nerdy or snarky t-shirts. She often wore gaudy and chunky bracelets and necklaces, along with the many earrings that adorned ears. She wore a white and purple unicorn hoodie that she favored; she'd always say that she feels like a unicorn whenever she put on the hood, which had a stuffed unicorn horn sewn on it. She was strange and quirky, but super sweet.

"Liu, Liu, Liu! We've missed you soooooooooo much! Oh, oh, oh! I got some news! It's great! Fabulous! Oh, oh, but-but we have to have Diavel say it!" She pulled on the arm of a taller boy who was wearing a black sleeveless hoodie with a white long sleeved thermal shirt, faded denim jeans with a bike chain hooked onto the belt loops of his pants. He wore black hiking boots with frayed laces. Tawny pulled down his hood to reveal his bright dyed red hair, olive skin and warm brown eyes, heavily ringed with dark circles, which always make him look sleep deprived. Medium gauges in his ears were the only other oddity besides his hair. Stacy Diavel smiled shyly and he petted my head affectionately.

"Hey." He said softly. Diavel doesn't talk much, but we all manage to understand him. I smiled.

"Hey Diavel, what's the news?" I asked as I closed the door. He shyly looked down, rubbing the back of his head. Tawny was bouncing up and down excitedly, a huge grin on her face.

"Well… Uh…" he said softly when Tawny interrupted, about to jump out of her boots.

"I SAID YES!" she just about screamed, shoving her hand in my face. I flinched back, my eyes focusing on a silver ring with a small diamond in the center. I smiled widely and squealed along with Tawny, giving her a big hug.

"Oh my goodness Tawny! Diavel! I'm so happy for you!" I smiled, Gwyn stepped up and smiled.

"That great guys, congratulations, but can we move this party to the dining room? The foyer is getting kinda crowded." She chuckled, wrapping her arm around Arlen affectionately. We all make our way to the dining room, talking and chattering happily.

)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(

"Oh man! That was so good!" Arlen sighed, leaning back into his chair and rubbing his stomach.

"Yes, it was very god Liu" Ruvel complimented, dabbing him lip with a napkin. I blushed and smiled as I began to gather the empty plates. Gwyn stood and helped me.

"Liu, you should've gone to culinary school. I didn't know you were so good at cooking!" Gwyn said. I smiled at her praise as I began to wash the dishes.

"Thanks…. I'm just happy that Arlen is back. Now I won't have to deal with Papa alone." I sighed.

"Speaking of, where is that douche bag? He wasn't here when I woke up this morning." she asked, plating the cookies from the cooling rack.

I shook my head. "I don't know. I think he went to work, which means he should be home any minute."

As if on cue, the door was slammed and Papa walked into the kitchen. He froze when he saw us.

"What the hell is going on?" he growled.

I hesitated as Arlen walked into the kitchen.

"Hey Chibi, do you need any help?" he froze when he saw Papa. The looked at each other, Papa's face steadily getting red.

"Hey Pops." Arlen said in a steely tone.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he growled. I gulped nervously. If Papa decided to get violent, the evening would be ruined.

"I'm came back home. Ain't it obvious?" Arlen said. Papa scoffed and just turned away.

"If you're going to stay, get a fucking job." And with that he stomped upstairs to his room. I winced as the door slammed above. I sighed, thankful that it didn't develop into a fight.

"Chibi," Arlen sighed, "Want me to do anything to help?" he rubbed the back of his head, obviously trying to dismiss the tension that still hung in the air. I smiled sadly.

"Yeah, help Gwyn take the cake and cookies into the dining room. You guys can start on dessert while I finish cleaning up." I said, lifting up a soapy plate. He took the cake and leaned over and kissed my forehead.

"I'm sorry sis… but I'm happy to be back." He said. I smiled.

"Don't be gross." I said playfully. He laughed and accompanied Gwyn into the dining room.

I scrubbed the plates thoroughly, listening to the cheers as the sweets were presented. I giggled and sighed. It started to feel like old times again. Well, almost.

I was thinking about Jeff again. I guess I couldn't keep my mind off of him. I closed my eyes and sighed. I could almost feel his warmth around me. I thought back to last night, and wondered what would have happened if we weren't interrupted. I'd like to think that he would kiss me… and I blushed when I realized that I had wanted that. I…. I like Jeff. But there wouldn't be a snowball's chance in hell that he'd like me back. He was a murderer, a psychopath. I doubt he would ever like anyone. Besides he left me, and I don't think he'd ever come back, or even give me a second thought. If anything, I might've just been a nuisance. An inconvenience that he couldn't even bother killing.

"I kinda wish Jeff were here… I'd like to think he'd like a good meal." I murmured to myself sadly.

"What's wrong Liu?" Ruvel said suddenly. I jumped and turned around quickly. I didn't even hear him come into the room.

"Ruvel! You scared me!" I exclaimed, which made his chuckle. He stood in front of me, leaning against the island as I dried my hands on my apron.

"You look so sad. What's wrong? Is it your father again?" He frowned, the warmth in his eyes instantly turned cold. Ruvel didn't like Papa that much, but because of mine and Arlen's urgings, never said or did anything to him. Although it wasn't a secret that Ruvel hated my father. I shook my head.

"N-no, no Papa isn't a problem… I dunno... I guess I just feel strange, seeing you all back again. I've missed you all." I said. I couldn't talk to Ruvel about Jeff. It would be dangerous.

Ruvel surprised me by engulfing me in his embrace. I hugged him back, leaning my head against his chest.

"I've missed you very much Liu. 'Len is my best friend, but you're the one that can keep him tame. I swear that I had moments where I was going to strangle him." He chuckled. I smiled. Suddenly I felt him tense. I looked up at him questioningly.

"...Would it be okay if I stepped out to have a quick smoke?" He asked, his face tight and tense.

"Of course…" I said softly. "Is everything okay?" he nodded curtly and smiled. His smile looked strained.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just… tired. It's been a long day." He sighed. I nodded.

"Okay, well I'll be here if you want to talk." I said, not wanting to push it. He nodded and stepped outside without another word as I got back to washing the dishes, my mind wandering back to Jeff.


	21. The Handkerchief

_I stared at the kid from the window of her kitchen. She looks so sweet and appetizing as always. It hasn't even been a day since I've left here and already I've come back. But not without purpose. I held the soft blue scrap of material to my face an inhaled the sweet scent of her. I had found this handkerchief, embroidered with the letters L.V on a corner. I came to return it, but it seems that the kid and the doc bitch had company. Well, that's what I'm convinced I'm here to do. I have no use for the damn thing…. Especially because of earlier…._

_I had returned to my hideout before the sun came up; a small abandoned factory just on the outskirts of the town. I was happy to see that all of my stuff was still there and uninterrupted, though a bit dusty. I was gone for about a week. I checked the food that I had stashed in a mini fridge that I had managed to fix and rig to a small gas powered generator. It was surprisingly still cold, even with the generator off, but then again this whole factory felt cold with the generator off; if offered some heat when it was powered, and powered the lights in the foreman office where I was currently using as my own personal bedroom. I went to the generator and powered it. The lights in the office instantly flickered on, along with a flood of warmth. I hadn't realized I was shivering until I felt my body suddenly stop. I closed the door to trap the heat and block some of the light, even though the only window in the room looked out towards the factory floor. I pulled down the blinds and flopped onto the worn old couch that was against the wall opposite the window. A desk was in the middle of the room and my mini fridge that I had found when I got into this town was underneath it, effectively hiding it. A wooden office chair was next to it, broken and worn. I took my knife out of my pocket and stuck it to the wall above me._

_I closed my eyes and stuck my cold hands in my sweater pocket, making myself comfortable. I still was unwell, but some sleep would help. I shrugged down into the couch, letting my mind drift into semi consciousness. I thought about the kid, and what her bitch of an aunt had said. Would she miss me? Would she even give me a second though? Pfft yeah right. Who in their right mind would give a fuck about murderer like me? Especially a naive girl like her. I opened my eyes and stared at the molded ceiling, tracing the lines and patterns with my eyes. I can't even think her name, let alone say it out loud. It was too much like my brother's. How fucked up was that? Although their personalities were different. My bro wouldn't have reacted the way the kid did if someone was trying to kill him. He would have fought and ran. But she…. _

_She took me into her house. She took care of me. She helped me, even though I could have killed her without a second thought. She risked her life, along with the lives of her loved ones, just to care for me. She must have been fucking crazy. I smiled, feeling the edges of my scarred smile split. I licked the blood away, and dug in my pockets for some tissues. My hand came in contact with something silky and soft. I pulled it out. It was a wrinkled light blue handkerchief with white lace trimming it. _

_ "__What's this?" I murmured, inspecting it. There were the letters L.V embroidered on the corner. "Oh..." I said in recognition. This was the kid's…. she used it to clean me up after I had gotten sick when she first brought me to her home. What was it doing in my pocket? I smoothed it out, feeling the soft material under my fingers, reminiscent of her soft skin. I felt my heart beat hard as I closed my eyes, remembering her large eyes looking up at me, her plump lips parted slightly in anticipation, her hands sliding up my chest. I brought the handkerchief to my face and inhaled the faint scent of her perfume, and felt my body grow hot. I groaned and opened my eyes and nearly fell off of my sofa. She was there, in her sheer blue nightgown, sitting on top of my lap. She wore red lipstick and dark eyeshadow, and her hair was loose around her shoulders, making her look incredibly sexy. I grabbed her waist tightly, a growl escaping my throat._

_ "__What the hell are you doing here?!" I said, my voice dripping with lust and venom. _

_ "__Jeff…. I miss you…" she leaned down, pressing her body against mine. I shivered at the contact and started run my hands up and down her back and waist. My breathing became hard, trying to keep calm and in control. Her face was so close to mine, I could see the golden flecks in her hazel/green eyes. The smell of her sweet perfume was overwhelming._

_ "__Kid…." I groaned, feeling her soft hands caressing my face, neck and chest slowly, making me feel both comforted and aroused. My body was reacting, and it was making it harder to think._

_She frowned at me, her lips pouting in such a sexy way that it would be blasphemy to not bite them. "Jeeeeffff…. Stop calling me a kid. I'm not a kid…" she whined softly. I leaned up and nipped her lip softly and she leaned away, sitting up on my lap. I groaned as I felt her weight shift onto my hips and I felt myself straining against my jeans. She bit her lip and blushed, and looked down shyly, which made me want to violate her. I took a deep breath and tightened my grips on her hips. _

_ "__Listen, you shouldn't be here… I don't even know how you found me here… but you need to get the fuck out of here!" I said through gritted teeth, seeing how her breasts squish together as she pulled at the zipper on my sweater. She bit her lip, looking so god damn appetizing that I couldn't help but buck my hips upwards. She gasped softly and looked at me, and the shy yet aroused look she gave me, pushed me to the edge. I held her hips tightly as I sat up and meshed my lips with hers roughly. She moaned as I forced her lips apart and shoved my tongue into her mouth, tasting the sweet softness of her tongue. I wrapped my arms around her waist and slid a hand up her back, winding my fingers into her hair. Gripping the hair at her scalp I roughly pulled her head back, making her gasp and moan as I started to aggressively bite her neck. She wound her hands into my hair and pulled, making the stinging pleasure rush throughout my body. I groaned and continued to ravish her neck with my lips and teeth, leaving dark hickeys and bruises. Her breathing was heavy as she whimpered with each bite. I started biting lower, down to her chest. She pulled my hair a little roughly, which made a moan escape my lips._

_ "__Jeff…." She moaned my name. I smiled darkly, a laugh escaping my lips. I gripped her hips roughly as I bucked my hips into her. She moans, her face red with an embarrassed blush, making me want her more._

_ "__Fuck…" I felt myself get extremely hard the more I touch her, feeling her warm skin in my hands and the heat of her on my lap. I tore her gown down the middle and started biting and licking her breasts. She tasted so soft and sweet, like the best kind of marshmallow._

_I continued to grind my hips into her as I littered her skin with bruises and hickeys. It wasn't enough, I wanted more… I wanted fucking more….I flipped her over, so that I laid on top of her. She wrapped her legs around my waist as I groped her and kissed her, grinding my hips into hers roughly. She was moaning in my ear, incoherently moaning and begging for me to fuck her. I was only too happy to oblige._

_It was a haze…. I can't even recall doing it, but the feeling was amazing. The only thing I can say was that I was close and she was on top of me, begging me to say her name._

_ "__Jeff… Please!" she moaned, her makeup smudged and messy, riding me as I moved rhythmically with her,_

_ "__Kid…" I moaned, feeling hotter and hotter. _

_ "__No Jeff~ please say my name!" she moaned, leaning her body against mine. I began bucking my hips harder and faster as I became close to coming. Her moans became louder as it pushed me to the absolute edge._

_ "__Fuck! Liu!" I moaned._

**_A/N: I am on a roll! Thank you all for the reviews! They make me so happy~_**


	22. Rival

_"__Liu…."I opened my eyes, staring up at the ceiling. I was sweating and breathing hard. It was… a dream? I sat up, feeling the uncomfortable wetness in between my legs as I realized I came in my jeans. I cursed at myself and tried to calm my hard beating heart. I held her handkerchief in my hands, growing angry at myself. Why the fuck does she keep haunting my thoughts? I stood up and went into the bathroom to quickly clean up, then I grabbed my knife and stormed out of the warehouse._

_I pulled my hood up and lit a cigarette as I stormed though the small forest that surrounded the abandoned factory. The sun was setting as I entered the town again. It would take a couple of hours to reach her house. But I intended to cut that time by speed walking, and I needed to burn away some of my anger._

_I shouldn't have thoughts of her in my head. Especially after a dream like that, I aim to end any connection with her. This handkerchief is the only connection I have to her now, and I don't want it. I should throw it away, but… I don't think I could bring myself to do it. I held it up to my face and felt the soft material against my cheek, slowing down my pace._

_It's an impossible dream, to believe she could even care about me. I'm not meant for that. Killing my family was proof enough of that. Should I kill her? It would put my mind at ease to do it… but for some reason I couldn't even imagine pulling my knife on her. It made me feel, empty…. And I didn't like that feeling either. Killing was fun for me; anywhere from children to elders, young, old it didn't fucking matter, I'd always have delicious fun slaughtering them. But when it came to the kid… I don't feel like I can do it. Although her shit ball of a father… I smiled. It would be so much fun. I flicked my spent cigarette and snuck carefully around in the shadows as I came into the more populated areas of the town. My heart started palpitating as I was getting closer to her home._

_)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(_

_I could hear the voices coming from her house from across the street where I was standing. There was a large repainted school bus parked out in front. I snuck around the bus and, keeping to the shadows, peek into the partially open window in the kitchen. I felt my heart skip a beat when I saw her; right there in front of me, washing dishes with a dreamy, faraway look. I looked at her for a long time. She looked worried as she was lost in thought, then sighed suddenly._

_ "__I kinda wish Jeff were here… I'd like to think he'd like a good meal." She said softly. I turned away and pressed my back against the wall, shocked. She…. She wished I was there with her? She misses me? It was unbelievable. I felt my heart beat hard, feeling happiness swell in my chest._

_I was still processing what I had heard her say, when I faintly registered a familiar male voice coming from the window. I turned and peeked in the window, shocked to see him… hugging her. I felt rage bubbling in my chest as our eyes met. His face set into a stony gaze as I smiled maliciously and turned away from the window. I moved next to the door and crouched down in the bushes. I pulled out my blade, ready to slit that fucker's throat._

_Suddenly, I felt a cold sharpness on the back of my neck. I smiled and started to laugh._

_ "__I believe that's check mate, old friend." Said the deep voice in a dark tone. I stood up carefully, still laughing._

_ "__Heh, you haven't lost your touch, huh Ruvel?" I said, turning to face the man holding the blade at me. I whipped my knife to his neck, holding it steadily. His face was stone set as his cold eyes pierced me with maliciousness and anger._

_ "__What are you doing here Jeffery?" he inquired in a low voice. I smirked as lowered my knife._

_ "__None of your fucking business." I leaned my head away as Ruvel pressed his knife into my neck. I stopped smiling and stood still. I may be fast, but Ruvel was faster, and more skilled. Even I had to admit that I would have a hard time fighting him, unless I get pissed. We stared at each other for a long while until he spoke up again._

_ "__You're not killing this family, you son of a bitch." He growled. I laughed at him._

_ "__I wasn't planning on it cock sucker."_

_ "__Then why are you here?" he spat at me._

_I slowly reached into my pocket and pulled out the handkerchief. His eyes flashed to it as I held it up._

_ "__That's Liu's…." he whispered. He then looked at me, pressing the knife harder against my neck. I felt a warmth trickle down my neck, and my eye twitched in agitation. I had to keep calm._

_ "__Where did you get that?" He demanded, his expression deathly serious. I smirked._

_ "__None of your business… but I didn't steal it." I said calmly._

_He examined my face, his expression unreadable. Then he suddenly lowered his knife from my neck. He smirked, put away his knife and pulled out a pack of clove cigarettes. He pulled one out and lit it._

_ "__Long time no see you shit ball. What brings you back to this little town?" He asked._

_ "__None of your business. Where have you been, you sick fuck?" I leaned against the pillar that had a tile scaffolding that was above the door to shield it from rain and snow. _

_He laughed, taking in a deep drag of his cigarette. "I was traveling the country with my band." He said simply. I nodded, remembering that the last time we spoke, he mentioned something about a band._

_ "__What are you doing here, if not to kill?" Ruvel asked._

_I didn't answer. Instead, my eyes cut to the window, where I saw her in the kitchen, preparing a tray with a tea pot and matching cups. I smiled slightly, and it seems that Ruvel saw._

_ "__You're into Liu!" he accused, laughing under his breath. I felt a heat rise to my face._

_ "__Fuck you I am not!" I yelled._

_Suddenly, the front door opened and the kid stepped out. I ducked into the bushes, feeling my heart beat rapidly._

_ "__Ruvel, is everything okay? I thought I heard shouting…" she said. I started to feel hot as I suddenly remembered my dream. I inhaled deeply in order to keep calm. I peeked up through the bushes and saw her face. She was shy and blushing, a small smile on her lips._

_ "__Yes sweetheart, everything is fine." He said, his voice sickeningly sweet towards her._

_ "__Oh… okay well, Tawny is going to show some videos from your tour, you should come back inside soon." She fidgeted a little, looking down shyly. Ruvel petted her head affectionately._

_ "__I will Liu. Let me finish this and I'll be inside."_

_ "__Okay… oh here!" He handed him a napkin with something inside. "I managed to rescue some cookies from the guys… thought you'd would like to have some too."_

_Ruvel chuckled and took the cookies from her. Then, in a flash he caught my eye and smirked. He leaned over and kissed her forehead, causing my anger to boil in my chest. I fought to keep myself crouched and not rip him open._

_She giggled and blushes, walking back inside. The second the door shut I whipped out my knife and slammed Ruvel against the wall, holding my blade against his throat._

_ "__Who the fuck do you think you are?!" I growled. He smirked._

_ "__A man who loves Liu as much as you do." He said, his voice serious. My eyes widened and I dropped my arm in shock. Is that what this feeling is? It is love? I stepped away from him and looked down. Fuck… I can't be in love. I don't love. But when I saw Ruvel kissing her… it made me feel an anger that I've never felt before. I didn't know if it was love, not did I care to know. All I know is that I don't want anyone else touching her. She was mine. My prey._

_ "__Don't touch what's mine." I said to him, staring him in the eye. He laughed._

_ "__HA! I'd never thought I'd see the day… well, I guess this makes us rivals now doesn't it, old friend?" he teased._

_I huffed and turned away. "Whatever." And with that I started to jog away, to be alone with my thoughts, hearing Ravel's mocking laugh behind me._

_)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(_

_I had sat against the wall, her balcony above me. I rested my hands in my knees, analyzing what Ruvel had said. It had been bugging me for the last few hours. These feelings for her…. for… L-Liu… I cringed as I thought her name… it was still too hard. But these feeling… I just know I want her. I don't want anyone else to touch her, especially not Ruvel. I'll cut his fucking hands off if he touches her like that again. I let my mind wander to my dream… it was so intoxicating… so real. For a moment, I wished that it was. What is wrong with me?_

_A meow caught my attention as her cat, Scrappy padded up to me. I stretched out my hand and he nuzzled into it as I began to pet him. I felt a smile tug at my lips. This cat was like her, affectionate, soft, cuddly… I never had a pet, but I think if I did it would be a cat. Scrappy meowed and ran off. I followed him to the back yard and watched as he made his way through a small cat door that was installed in the shabby looking back door. I guess that was my cue. I walled back to her balcony and started to climb the trellis fence that was attached to the wall. I moved carefully, as to not break the trellis as I climbed it like a latter. As I reached the top, I swung my leg over and climbed over the balcony rail. I pulled a splinter out of my hand as I peeked into the dark window into her room. I could make out her sleeping form in the bed and I felt my body heat up. I took a deep breath and gently pushed at the window, meeting resistance. It was locked._

_ "__Shit…." I sighed as I took out my knife and wedged the thinnest part of my blade into the crack where the windows met. I shimmied it up carefully and managed to unhook the latch that kept the window locked. I slipped my knife back into my pocked and carefully pushed open the window, taking great care to not let it creak. I stepped into the room once I opened the window enough for my body to just slip though. I shut the window and instantly heard a meow at the door. I tiptoed over and unlocked it, letting the cat inside. He slipped in and jumped onto the rocking chair, curling up and licking his paws. I shut and locked the door again then turned to face her._

_She was laying on her stomach, hugging a pillow tightly. The blanket was slipping off of her body, showing off a sheer black night gown with black lace trim…. I stared at her form, looking so voluptuous and soft. I stepped up to the bed and began to ghost my fingers up her legs, past her hips and back, and gently, very gently, stroked her cheek. She shifted and turned to her side, reaching for a stuffed animal. I gently placed it in front of her, and my chest warmed as I watched her cuddle it, looking so sweet and innocent. I pulled the blanket up and covered her up again. She moaned softly, snuggling into the covers._

_ "__mm. Jeff…" I heard her groan. I froze. Was she dreaming about me? My heart sped up. Did she think about me in the same way as I did about her? I stepped away from her. I couldn't do this… I took out the handkerchief out of my pocket and placed it on her pillow. Then turned to leave. I closed the window behind me and climbed back down the trellis and ran. As fast as I could… away from her and my dark thoughts and urges. I won't let Ruvel have her, but I won't allow myself to get near her either._

_)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(_

I opened my eyes at the sound of my alarm sounding off. I reached up and shut it off. I had the strangest dream… that Jeff was here again, gently touching me and just standing over me. He then placed something on my pillow and left. It felt so real… and he was so gentle… I sat up and shook my head.

"Oh it was just a…" I froze as I saw my handkerchief on my pillow. I felt tears spring to my eyes. He was here again, and again he didn't say goodbye.


	23. Three Months- Liu

"I'm going to kill Arlen!" I said as I trudged through the snow, carrying some new bags of art supplies. He's only been back for a few months, and had practically claimed ownership of my car, borrowing it whenever he saw fit. I shivered as a gust of wind blew through me.

"Ohh… when I see him, I'm going to strangle him!" I was livid. It was absolutely freezing today, and I told Arlen that I needed my car to pick up supplies for my class. That jerk took the car anyway. And it left me wallowing through the ankle deep snow. It was still powdery and fresh because it had snowed last night and earlier in the day. I was so happy I was wearing thick socks, lined stockings and galoshes. I pulled my cape and hood up, trying to keep my face warm. I shifted the multiple heavy bags in my arms, being careful not to drop it. They were heavy, filled with bottles of paint, different clays, brushes, new painting and sculpting tools, pencils, sketchbooks and rolls of canvas for painting. If I had my car, I would have also bought some wood from the hardware store so that I could build my own frames to pin my canvas on. Unfortunately, that'll have to wait for another time.

It was only four in the afternoon, and it was already getting very dark. And there were reported killings in the area. Not that I was concerned though, since I know exactly who's behind them. I haven't seen him in three months, but I've never forgotten Jeff. I think about him a lot, especially at night when I'm in bed. I sometimes dream that he comes into my room and just stands there, not saying a word and looking at me like he's deep in thought. Sometimes he touches me, gently caressing my face or stroking my hair. A lot of times he's sitting in my rocking chair, sometimes with Scrappy sitting on his lap, other times he's playing with his knife. Most of the time he's covered in blood. But he's always there, staring at me, watching me sleep. Once I'd dream that he kissed my forehead, his lips rough with scarring. But he was always gentle. I missed him very much. Probably more than I'd care to admit.

I slipped on a slick patch of concrete, and I gasped as I quickly caught myself. I shifted my bags to even out the weight and sighed, trying to calm my rapidly beating heart. I bit my lip, trying to stop myself from swearing. Now I really am going to strangle Arlen! I struggled with the bags until I just about got to my home.

"Hey Liu!" said a voice from inside the garage. I looked over to see Ruvel tuning a guitar while sitting on the old worn recliner that my brother kept in there. He placed the guitar down and jogged up to me. He wore a pair of worn black jeans, metal plated boots, and a black pull over hoodie with red straps adorning it. He flashed his warm smile at me as he took some of the bags from my hands.

"Let me help you with those princess." I blushed as he smiled at me.

"Thank you Ruvel. What are you doing here? Arlen isn't home at the moment." We walked carefully up the driveway.

"I know, I'm just waiting for him to come home, along with Tawny and Diavel. It's our annual game night." He chuckled as I unlocked the door. We stepped inside and set the bags on the floor. I started to take off my galoshes and set them on a drying mat next to the door. Ruvel mimicked me and smiled. I shrugged off my jacket and matching hooded cape and hung it on the coat rack.

"Make yourself comfortable Ruvel, I'm going to go upstairs and change into something more comfortable." I picked up the heavy bags, but Ruvel instantly took them from my hands.

"I'm not going to let you carry these up those stairs by yourself. They're heavy, and you're in socks, you might slip carrying these. So I'll help you. Besides, I've never seen Liu's room before," He smiled, "I'm curious to see what kind of cute things you have in there. Besides yourself that is."

I giggled and blushed shyly. Oh my gosh, Ruvel is going to come into my room! I just about skipped up the stairs. I pushed open my door, surprised to see Scrappy sleeping on my bed. I thought I had left the door closed…

He meowed and stretched as I entered the room, setting the bags next to the bed. I shivered as I noticed that the window was cracked open. I went over and shut it, locking the hook latch. "That strange… I thought I locked my window before I left…" I murmured.

"Maybe the lock is broken… oh!" I jumped as Ruvel wrapped his arms around me.

"It is freaking cold in here! More so than the garage!" I felt him shiver as he hugged me. I could smell the scent of marijuana and his cologne as he squeezed me close to him. I patted his arm.

"How about I make us some hot cocoa? There are even some chocolate chip cookies to snack on."

"Really? Oh yum! I'll be waiting downstairs then!" he smiled happily as he left my room.

I giggled as I started to change. My dress was damp from the snow that was falling earlier, and I didn't want to keep wearing wet clothes. I dug around my drawers and pulled out a pair of shorts that were half lavender and half mint green. I slipped them on over my fleece lined stockings and then pulled on a long sleeve baby blue shirt. I took out my bunny short sleeve zip up hoodie and slipped it on. I braided my hair and slipped on a pair of black ballet flats that were covered in cherries. I pulled up the hood, letting the cream colored plush bunny ears that were sewn on top flop over the sides. I looked at myself in my mirror, deciding that I looked decent enough, and made my way downstairs with Scrappy in tow.

Ruvel was sitting at the island, messing with his phone. I shyly entered the kitchen and made my way to the pantry. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him look up at me and smile in surprise.

"Wow… I've never seen you without a skirt or dress on before… you look so…" he bit his lip and looked down. I blushed as I pulled out a container of cocoa powder and some brown sugar.

"O-oh, well… I don't really like wearing pants, but since my dress was wet from the snow earlier, I wanted to change into something comfortable. Besides, I have to work on my final project for class, and I didn't want to ruin my dress…." I shuffled my feet, feeling bashful. I looked up and saw that he was still smiling.

"Well, you look absolutely adorable." Ruvel said softly, a slight pink tinge on his cheeks. I turned away, feeling my cheeks grow hot. I reached up for a pot and set it on the stove, turning the flame onto a medium low heat. I placed the pot onto the stove and measured out a couple of cups of Lactose-free milk. I poured it into the pot at let it heat up. I stood on my tip-toes and reached for the cookie jar on top of the fridge, but I couldn't reach. It was pushed back too far and I wasn't tall enough to reach it. Ruvel stood behind me and grabbed the jar without any effort. He handed it to me and patted my head.

"That was the cutest thing I've seen in a long time." He chuckled. I smiled and giggled.

"Haha! That must have looked strange. I'm sorry."

"Nonsense! It was cute, and I'm happy I was here to witness that."

I set the cookie jar down and took out a plate from the pantry. I placed some onto the plate and had Ruvel put the cookie jar back on the top of the refrigerator. After the milk was steaming, I put in a table spoon of cocoa powder and a table spoon and a half of brown sugar. I took out some vanilla extract and poured a few drops into the mix and whisked everything until it was all dissolved and combined. I put everything away and took out a bag of marshmallows. I could feel his eyes on me as I moved, and it made me feel self-conscious.

I took out a couple of mugs and carefully poured the cocoa into them. I topped them off with marshmallows and handed Ruvel the mug.

"Thank you Liu. This smells wonderful." He said, wrapping his hands around the mug. I took a cookie from the plate and sat on the stool across from him, letting my feet dangle. Without my dolly shoes or platform heels, my feet couldn't reach the floor. I sighed as I took a bite of the cookie. We sat in silence, snacking on cookies and enjoying our cocoa. It had been a long time since Ruvel and I sat like this together, and I felt a sort of happiness flow through me. Just like old times.

"This is kind of nostalgic, isn't it?" he said suddenly. I looked at him and smiled.

"Yeah, like it was before. I've missed this." I admitted softly.

"Me too darling." He said just as softly. He reached his hand over and tucked a lock of my hair behind my ear.

"You've become so beautiful… although you haven't grown very much in the last few years." He teased playfully. I pouted.

"It's not my fault! You guys are just so darn tall!" I whined, which make him laugh.

"Well, you're only four-foot-ten, which is just adorable… I can't help that I'm nearly six feet tall." He shrugged, taking another cookie.

"Yeah, you freakishly tall bastard" said a voice from the walkway. I turned to see Arlen, Diavel and Tawny kicking off their shoes and hanging up their now wet jackets.

"It's snowing like a mother fucker out there! Chibi, keep me warm!" Arlen shuffled over to me, his sweater soaked from the snow. I slid off my chair and pushed him away.

"Nooooooooo you're all wet and cold! Go change!" I scolded. He slumped and pouted, then took the last cookie from the plate.

"Mm-kay" he said, muffled by the cookie as he trudged upstairs. I greeted Tawny and Diavel as they made their way down towards the basement. Ruvel patted my head and smiled warmly.

"Thanks for the cocoa Liu. It was delicious." I smiled as he followed after the other two downstairs. I yawned softly, feeling a little sleepy now that I was warmed by the cocoa. I washed the mugs, pot and plate and made my way upstairs to start my project that was supposed to be finished before the end of winter break. I set up the canvas that was already made and looked at the sketch on it.

Even in my art I couldn't stop thinking about Jeff, as I stared at the incomplete sketch of the horrifying murderer that adorned my canvas.


	24. Three Months- Jeff

_"__IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO SLEEP! GO TO SLEEP!" I said, laughing hysterically as I slid my knife into the torso of the screaming woman that was pinned on the floor underneath me. Her nails scraped at my face and neck feebly as she tried to fight me off, but it's all in vain. She's going to sleep…. Forever! I stabbed her again, feeling her blood splatter on my face. I pulled out the knife and kept stabbing until she was silent. Her face was frozen in terror, and I sat there staring at her, trying to catch my breath. I felt the adrenaline course through me, and I relished in it. The rush, the energy, I love it…. I fucking love it! I brush a lock of the woman's blonde hair out of her face, and saw a pendant around her neck. It was heart shaped and silver, with a diamond in the center. I carefully unhooked the chain from her neck and looked at it carefully. It had the words "Love is Forever" engraved around the diamond in elegant letters. I flipped it around, looking for any other words. I saw none…. I imagined how this would look around her neck, how she would react if I gave it to her…._

_Not a day has gone by that I haven't thought about her. She had haunted my thoughts and dreams. So much so, that I haven't yet left the town, even though it was becoming more risky for me to remain here. But I just… I couldn't leave. I've even fallen into the habit of sneaking into her room at night. I just sit there, watching her sleep. It was interesting, to say the least. She was a bit of an active sleeper. Whenever she was dreaming, she would mumble in her sleep, tossing and turning. If she dreamt of something funny, she would laugh. But lately, she'd been having stress dreams. Probably from school; which made me happy that I didn't attend anymore. The last time I saw her, she started to cry in her sleep. I kissed her forehead, hoping that it would calm her. I was surprised that it did. That was a week ago. I haven't seen her since then, mostly because she had been pulling all-nighters, sitting in front of a canvas and drawing. I watch her through her window, enthralled at her movements. I love the way she holds an eraser between her lips as she sketches something, the look of frustration she has when she makes a mistake, the soft sighs that escape her lips when she finishes a part of her sketches. Then I wait for her to sleep. I don't go inside though. I let her rest. Although tonight, I want to see her again. I want to see my Liu again._

_Sirens started blaring outside the house, breaking me from my train of thought. I cursed and snuck my way out of the house, climbing out of the window I broke to get inside. I managed to sneak pass some armed officers and ran into the trees behind the house. I kept running until the lights were far away and the voices couldn't be heard. I jumped over a fence and sprinted across the yard, putting distance between me and the cops. I jumped over another fence and hid among the trees. Breathing hard, I sat underneath a tree, my back against the trunk. I needed to catch my breath. The cold January air was hard to breathe in, and made my throat and lungs feel dry, each breath sharp and painful. I coughed, covering my mouth to muffle the sound. I pulled my hand away, seeing fresh blood. I licked my lips and my smile. It was dry and bleeding again. I cursed and wiped away the blood. I placed my hands in my pockets, trying to keep them warm. I felt the chain and took it out again to look at it. It was a bit bloody, but I could see it shine. It would look beautiful adorning her neck. I sighed._

_After the conversation I had with Ruvel a few months ago, I've come to terms with what I've been feeling. I still couldn't say that it was love, but I did feel something for her. I've practiced saying her name, and it has become easier now. She was always in my dreams, sometimes just laying with me, not saying a word, and other times, she was the sexy vixen I dreamt of since that night, always begging me to take her. I hated those dreams. It just taunted me with an impossibility; a scenario that would never happen in my lifetime. I would wake up from those dreams, wet with sweat and come, feeling the pleasure of release quickly being replaced with an emptiness. It would be after those dreams I would go out and kill, just to relieve the frustration. Like tonight. It was the third kill I've made this week. And even I felt it was overkill. I'm insane, but not stupid. If I kept on like this here in the suburbs, I'll surely get caught. I stood up from the tree and wiped the dirt and snow from my ass. I threw my hood up and placed the necklace back into my pocket as I made my way out of the trees. I wasn't far from her home, and since it was about one or two o'clock in the morning, there weren't any people outside. I jogged carefully, making sure I didn't slip on any ice. I was a neighborhood away, and it only took me twenty minutes to get to my destination. I snuck around to her window and climbed up the trellis as fast as I could. I felt eager to see her again. Though the curtains were drawn, I could tell the light was on in her room. _

_ "__Another all-nighter?" I mumbled to myself as I peeked through the curtain's slight opening. The canvas and easel were there, but she wasn't. I waited a moment to see if she were in the bathroom or something, but after ten minutes, I didn't see her. I pressed my ear to her window, to see if I could hear any movement. I caught the faint sound of deep rhythmic breathing, and I sighed. I carefully unlocked and opened her window, I stepped inside and saw her at her desk, her laptop open to a Word Document and her desk lamp shining. She was asleep at the desk, her head rested against her arms. I brushed her hair out of her face gently and felt a smile pull at my face. She had worn herself out. I turned off her light and carefully lifted her from her seat. She instinctively wrapped her arms around my neck and snuggled into my arms. I shivered from the contact as I carried her to her bed. She wasn't wearing a skirt today, but instead some kind of leggings or stockings and a pair of weird colored shorts. It made her curves stand out remarkably. I laid her on the bed and loosened her arms from my neck. I took off her shoes and covered her with her blanket. I then sat on the rocking chair and began to relax. _

_I lost myself in thought as I watched her sleep. I noticed how the blanket draped around her body, making her curves prominently stand out. I bit my lip and groaned. Seeing her like this, I could already tell that I was going to have another sex dream about her. I let out a muted groan, already feeling my body react in anticipation. I rocked myself in the chair gently, trying to distract myself. This was going to be a difficult night, but I wasn't going to leave right away. I've… missed her in a strange way. I wish I could wake her and hold her. I wish I could let her know I was here… but I promised myself that I would stay away…. Yeah right. Look how well that's turning out._

_I've tried to stay away, but somehow I'd end up near here whenever I would run from a house I've killed in. It was like my subconscious was leading me here. I've tried not to come here after a while, but somehow I always do end up here. So I've stopped fighting it. I would just sit here and rest, watching her sleep. I sometimes wish I could just crawl into the bed with her. Hold her and touch her, make her sigh and moan. I shook my head and sighed. I've only ever held her once, and that was when she was taking care of me. I remember how warm she was, how her small form fit against mine. I felt all of her softness against my fever addled body, making me feel comforted. It was the best sleep I've had in a while, until the nightmares started again._

_Being near her gave me a sense of comfort. I didn't feel like I had to be on my guard here when I'm with her. I've never felt comfortable anywhere... but being here, in her room, it gave me that feeling of comfort and peace. Is that why I'd always come here? Because I get this rare feeling that I seem to crave? Well, fuck if I know. I'm not a psychologist. But being here with Liu is all I wanted right now. I just wish I could let her know I was here. But I promised myself I wouldn't interact. Just watch her. I didn't want to cause her any more misery. I looked up at her as she shifted in her bed. She mumbled my name softly. I bit my lip. Even now, she dreams about me? It still shocks me. Sometimes she mumbles my name in her sleep, and every time she does, it surprises me that she even spares me a second thought. I even dare to believe that she might miss me as much as I did her. But I doubt it. It might just be that she's just glad I'm gone._

_I looked at her clock and stood up. It was about that time for me to go. She would wake up in a couple of hours, and I needed to get some rest. Tonight was going to be a busy night. I was going to make my way into the city, and try my hand there. I threw up my hood and looked at her one last time. She looked so peaceful. I stroked her cheek softly and smiled._

_ "__I'll see you later… Liu." I whispered as I turned to leave. I climbed out of her window and made my way down the street, a large smile on my lips. _


	25. A Bloody Reunion

"No freaking way Arlen!"

"Awwwww c'mon Liu-"

"No! I need my car tonight! I have a late class tonight, and I don't want to take the subway!" I snatched the keys away from my brother. I was so tired of arguing over my car. It was the third time today that I had to yell at him for taking my car. I needed it tonight. It was my first class back since winter break, and I needed to have my car. I needed to take my canvas to my Painting class and it was too big to carry on the trains. Plus, it was dangerous to take the train late at night. A lot of unsavory characters skulked the subway at night, and I didn't want to be there.

Arlen groaned as he snatched back the keys. "I need the car tonight too, Liu. I have a gig tonight, and I need transportation." He scowled, and I frowned at him.

"Then take Papa's car! He'll be home soon!" I shot at him.

"No! I have to get going now! I need to set up the equipment before the venue opens."

"Arlen, I need to go to class! I can't carry my canvas on the train!" I moved to snatch the keys, but he held it above his head, where I couldn't reach.

"Then I'll drive you to your class." He said matter-of-factly.

"And what about after? My class ends at nine!" I pouted, angry.

"Then I'll pick you up. My gig should be done by then. Just relax Liu!" he said. I sighed. I didn't have the time or energy to fight with him. I threw my hands up in frustration.

"Fine! But you better come and get me at nine, or you're a dead man!" I threatened. He laughed heartily as I lifted my covered canvas.

"I'd love to see you try Chibi." He teased as we stepped out of the door. I shook my head. I was angry, but I didn't want to fight anymore. I just wanted to get to class. I carefully placed my canvas in the trunk next to the music equipment as Arlen started the car. I shifted my backpack and jumped into the passenger seat as my brother backed out of the drive way. I clicked on my seatbelt and lit a cigar as we drove down the street.

"You make me so mad, you know that right?" I said, cracking open the window.

He opened his as well as he lit a blunt, smiling. "Yeah but you love me." I rolled my eyes as we drove down the park way into the city. I rubbed my temples, trying to soothe the headache that was coming on. I hated arguing. And I was nervous about my project. I had to redraw a new subject for my project and paint it all in one night. I couldn't submit the canvas with Jeff on it. It would raise some unwanted questions. Not to mention I was stressing about the current picture that I had worked on all of last night and this morning. It still wasn't finished, and it was something I felt that I couldn't just part with, but I just hoped that I could just scrape by with a decent grade.

After about twenty minutes, I was pulling out the covered canvas from the trunk, my nerves are really frazzled.

"Now… you promise you'll be here by nine?" I asked Arlen sternly. I was seriously concerned about his timeliness.

"Yes, your highness! I shall arrive to thee at the nine o'clock hour. Now can I go before I'm late?" he said sarcastically. I shook my head and slammed the trunk closed.

"Remember, nine o'clock." I said as he began to pull away.

"Got it..." he waved as he pulled away.

)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(

"What the hell do you mean you can't come get me?!" I shouted into my phone as I stood outside the campus building. I lowered my voice as I tried to make out what Arlen was saying on the phone.

"I'm sorry Liu, but the gig is running a little longer than I had anticipated. I probably won't be out until maybe eleven-"

"ELEVEN?!" I shrieked. I was shaking. I was not only angry, I was scared. I've never been out in the city this late at night without my car. And the subway at night made me incredibly nervous.

"Dammit Arlen!" I scolded over his shouted "I'm sorry"s and hung up the phone. I contemplated my options. Ruvel and Tawny couldn't come pick me up because of the gig with Arlen, and Gwyn was working the late shift in the city hospital tonight, while Aunt Mei was in the next city over for her business. And I definitely wouldn't call Papa. The idea of me being in the car with him while he's horribly intoxicated absolutely terrifies me.

I ran my fingers through my hair and started making my way to the station since I had no other choice. I tried to keep myself calm as I took out my metro pass from my bag as I entered the station. I ignored the weird stares as I swiped my pass and made my way to the platform. The concrete was wet with melted snow and salt as I made my way towards the end of the station to catch the front of the train. I checked my phone and waited. The next train would come in ten minutes, and then I would have to transfer to another train. It wasn't totally empty in the station, due to all the other students that were also taking the train, so I didn't feel so uncomfortably alone. I took a calming breath and thought back to my project. Instead of a portrait of Jeff, I submitted an unfinished portrait of my mother, which the teacher allowed me to finish during the rest of the class. It had gotten an A on it, and it had taken away a lot of the anxiety I felt about it.

I looked up and jumped to see the train pulling up to the station. I stepped into the crowded train car when the door opened. I managed to squeeze myself to a support bar and held onto it tightly as I could to keep my balance. I was wearing a pair of dolly shoes that were a little higher than I normally wear, so my balance was a little off. I smoothed out my dress and my jacket and looked down, away from some people's stares. Despite being comfortable dressing the way I do, I sometimes feel uncomfortable when people openly stare at me. I don't feel like it's unusual, but other people do. I just kept looking down, trying to concentrate on listening for my next stop announcement and seriously regretting not having my I-pod with me.

After a while the conductor announced my transfer stop, and I excused myself as I pushed past some people trying to get off the train. I stepped on to the wet station and straightened out my jacket as the doors shut behind me. I shifted my messenger bag and looked around at the near empty station. I instantly felt my nerves go on edge as I noticed that I was the only one in the station. I shivered as I quickly made my way up the concrete stairs of the station. I was underground now, and the train I needed to take to get me home was on the upper platforms. I walked into the new platform and waited alone for the train. I looked at the train schedule and found that the next train was coming in five minutes. I sighed and shifted my feet, anxious to get on the train and get home. There were only a few people on the platform, and a group of rowdy young guys were drinking and conversing loudly near the front end of the platform. I surreptitiously made my way to the opposite end, more towards where the back cart would be. I wished that there were more people here, but because of the hour, there aren't many people.

The train entered the station a few moments later, and I stepped into the empty train car. I sat down in an empty seat and just tried to relax. The lights were flickering ominously, and it didn't help settle my nerves. I saw a figure out of the corner of my eye turned to see a guy hunched over, his dirty hoodie covering his face. He seemed to be sleeping. I looked away from him, hoping that my presence wouldn't be a disturbance. I sighed softly as I took out my sketchbook and started to do some outlines. This ride was going to take at least ninety minutes to get to the station closest to my home.

I managed to do some rough sketches of some random anime characters of my own design when the click of the car doors caught my attention. The rowdy guys that I had seen earlier came into the car. I quickly put my sketchbook away in my bag and averted my eyes, hoping they wouldn't notice me. I heard the clattering of metal cans as I noticed that these group of guys were drinking excessively. They chattered loudly about vulgar nonsense, and I hoped with all my heart that they wouldn't notice me. I was so close to my stop; just five more stops.

They started to laugh hysterically as they chucked cans around, not bothering to empty some of them. Only four stops left.

A can had rolled noisily and ended up next to my foot, and the chattering had quieted for only a moment. I looked down, my heart beating nervously. Only three stops left. I was so close.

I saw movement at the corner of my eye, and I looked up to see the three guys approaching me. I gulped and looked down, hoping in vain that they wouldn't bother me.

"Hey baby." A sleazy voice said from above me. I looked up and flinched at the sight of the three hoodlums that now surrounded me. I held my bag closer to me.

"Hey now, you're a cutie. What choo doin' out here all alone?" another guy in a parka said, slinking next to me in the seat. I scooted away uncomfortably, not bothering to answer.

"Aww she's a shy one." Another guy said, his speech slightly slurred. He leaned down, his pock marked face really close to mine. I could smell the alcohol on his breath. I flinched away.

"OH shit man! She's a fuckin cutie fo' sho! Maybe we should play with her." he smiled evilly. I gasped and stood up, making my way to the train door. The sleazy guy in a windbreaker stood behind me and grabbed at my arms. I pulled way.

"Please…" I said in a small voice. "Please just leave me alone…" I backed away, my back hitting the support pole.

The parka guy stood up and smiled, his crooked teeth made his smile look evil.

"Aww baby doll, ya don' wanna play with us? You're awfully purdy, and I think we're gonna have a lot of fun, ain't that right boys?" he nodded to his cronies, and they nodded and started laughing. I backed away, and then turned to run, but the pock marked guy grabbed my arm roughly. I cried out and tried to pull away. He pulled me closer to him, and I used this momentum to swing my hand and palm him in the face. My hand had made contact with his nose, as he yelped in pain and released me. I stumbled forward and caught myself on the seat in front of me. He looked at me, blood covering his face and rage in his eyes.

"You're gonna regret that, ya little bitch!" he said as his friends all pounced on me, pinning me down and tearing at my clothes. I kicked and fought as I tried to get their hands off of me. One of the guys had slapped me hard across the face and I screamed as loud as I could. The windbreaker guy smothered my mouth with his hand as the one with the parka started to tear my jacket open. He tried to pry my legs open and I fought even harder, even though it was getting harder to breathe with windbreaker covering my mouth. I felt tears spill out of my eyes as I tried to fight. I didn't want this! _ Oh god, Jeff help me!_ I thought desperately as the guys started to tear at my clothes.

Suddenly, the parka guy froze, his face contorted in pain. He let out a cry, blood spilling from his mouth. A deep, dark rough voice sounded from behind him

"You shouldn't touch what isn't yours…." My eyes widened as the parka guy fell over. The other two dropped me and backed away from the figure responsible for stabbing their leader. He was tall, wearing a bloodstained dirty hoodie and dark jeans. He held a bloody kitchen knife and started to laugh. I looked up into his face and gasped. The familiar, pale scarred face with the carved smile.

"Jeff…" I breathed softly

"You Mother Fucker! Y-you fucking killed him! You killed him brah! You fucking sick fuck!" the windbreaker guy swung and landed a punch on Jeff's cheek. He staggered slightly, then started to laugh. The other two guys backed away a bit as Jeff straightened up and started laughing manically. His hood fell off, exposing his face to the flickering lights of the train car. The pock marked guy screamed and the windbreaker guy just froze in terror.

"That was dumb… and you shouldn't have done that…. Now I think it's time, for you to GO TO SLEEP!" he pounced on the windbreaker guy, and he fought against him, but Jeff was stronger, and I watched in horror as he stabbed and slit the throat of my potential rapist. I watched as the guy choked and sputtered as he fell to the ground, drowning in his own blood.

I whimpered at the sight. "Oh god…" I gasped. I looked back up at Jeff. His back was facing me as he stepped towards the pockmarked guy, who was cowering by the door.

"You like to "play" with cute little girls huh? And they call me a monster. Well maybe it's time for you to go to sleep!" Jeff said, his voice full of anger as he lifted the guy up and plunged his knife into his stomach. He repeatedly stabbed him until the guy's whimpering came to a stop. He dropped his body onto the seat and turned to me. I flinched and closed my eyes.

I sensed him kneeling next to me and I flinched as I felt his fingers gently touch my cheek. I opened my eyes and looked at his face. It was set in a serious yet worried look.

"Are you okay kid?" his said quietly. I felt the tears spill from my eyes as I threw my arms around his neck, all the feelings of fear and relief just overwhelming me. I cried on Jeff's shoulder and shook violently as he wrapped his arms around me.

"You're here! You're really here! Oh Je-Jeff!" I choked out as he rubbed my back soothingly.

He didn't say anything, but he lifted me up onto my feet and started to walk me quickly out of the train. I hadn't even noticed that it had stopped. He held my arm as I stumbled next to him, holding my jacket closed as he escorted me out of the station. I was about to tell him to slow down when I heard a loud scream come from the platform below. I shut my mouth as we made our way, unnoticed, out of the station and onto the street.


	26. You're Mine

We walked down the empty street in silence. I held my jacket closed and kept my eyes on my shoes as we walked to my house. I was calm now, but I feel like it was more from shock. Jeff walked close to me, despite being out in the open. He suddenly grabbed my arm and looked at me.

"Are you okay kid?" he asked, his voice soft. I looked up at him, and instantly felt the tears well in my eyes.

"I… I don't know…" I said. He pulled me close and held me, and I started to cry. I wrapped my arms around him and just cried. He shushed me gently while soothingly running his fingers through my hair. We didn't move, and he just let me cry. I shook violently, letting myself feel the fear that I had tried to hold back. I collapsed, my knees weak from shaking. He knelt with me, just holding me and rocking back and forth soothingly.

"It's okay Liu… they won't hurt you ever again…. They're asleep now. They will never wake up again." He whispered to me. I looked up at him, his face set in a serious expression. I didn't know how to respond so I just hugged him.

After a while, we had gotten back up and made our way to my home. My car and Papa's car were still absent, which made me sigh in relief. I didn't want to see either of them. Jeff walked me to my door.

"You're safe now…" he said. He shoved his hands into his pockets and turned away.

"Wait!" I cried. He turned around and looked at me, his eyes wide.

"Stay with me… please?" I begged. I didn't want to be left alone tonight, especially after everything that happened.

"You… want _Me_ to stay?" he said, as if unable to believe what he just heard. I nodded, hoping that he would. He sighed and shook his head.

"I'll meet you upstairs" he said as he jogged away from the house. I didn't understand why he just didn't come inside, but I shook it off. I shouldn't bother questioning his methods. I locked my front door and made my way up to my room. The second I shut my bedroom door, I heard a knocking on my window. I quickly went over and opened the window. Jeff walked into the room, his hood down and a worried look on his face.

"Hi…" I said softly, a small smile on my lips. He smirked and patted my head.

"Hey there, kid." he said softly and, if I'm not mistaken, a bit affectionately. I took his hand off my head and held it, but he gently pulled it away.

"You… should shower and change. Your clothes are torn and dirty." He said. He sat on my computer chair and made himself comfortable. "I'll be here." He closed his eyes. I nodded, grabbed a blue nightgown and clean underwear, and hastily took a shower.

After a while, I came out of the bathroom, refreshed and clean. Jeff look up at me and smiled.

"Hey… you look better now." He said softly. He reached out and gently ran his fingers through my hair, causing my face to burn with embarrassment. I smiled and tucked my hair behind my ear. His gentle look hardened as he carefully turned my head. I winced as he did, feeling the forming bruise on my jaw throb under his hard gaze. He grabbed my arm gently, yet firmly, and pulled me closer to him. I stumbled as he pulled me sharply, and fell into his lap. He held me tightly, my back against his chest.

"J-Jeff…" I gasped as he shushed me.

"Where else?" he growled.

"What?" I met his eyes through my cheval mirror. His expression was strangely concerned.

"Where else did those fuckers touch you?" his voice was harsh with anger, his arm around my waist. I sighed.

"Jeff, I'm okay…. really. They didn't do anything further… you stopped them…" I looked up at him, my face hot with a blush. "You… you saved me…." I bit my lip and looked down. He let out a sigh and wrapped his arms protectively around me.

"I'm….h-happy that you are okay…. when I saw those…. Those mother fuckers touching you….I just lost it. I…" He tilted my chin up to look me in the eye, his eyes determined and smoldering. "You're mine, Liu Valentine…. No one is allowed to touch you but me." I gasped, my eyes widened in shock.

Did I really just hear what I think I heard? Did I hit my head when that guy pushed me? I opened my mouth, only to have a faint squeak come out. I gulped and took a deep breath.

"J-Jeff… I… I….." I was overwhelmed. I threw my arms around Jeff, nuzzling my face into his neck. He tightened his arms around my waist, burying his face in my hair.

"Please don't leave me… I don't want to be alone!" I sobbed into his shoulder. He rocked me back and forth gently, running his fingers through my hair to comfort me.

"I won't leave you alone again." He whispered. I nodded, sobbing softly.

He placed his hand under my chin, and tilted my head up. I look up at him as he gently wiped away the tears from my cheeks. He was being so gentle with me, like I was made of glass. I gave a small smile, feeling my heart beat so hard in my chest. Why is it that he makes me feel this way? And why do I like it so much?

"Thank you…" I leaned over and kisses his cheek; it was rough with scarring, but much softer than I had anticipated. I felt him tense, his breathing hitched. He tightened his grip on my waist as he groaned. I blushed deeply, my face on fire as I pulled back.

"I'm sorry." I whispered, but he shook his head. He gently caressed my cheek and I gasped in surprise. He leaned closer to me.

"Why… can't I keep you off of my mind? Three months, and I can't even… I… oh fuck it!" he pressed his lips to mine roughly. I squeaked as I felt his rough, scarred lips on mine. My eyes fluttered shut as I moved my lips with his shyly. I felt the warmth flow through both of us as I wrapped my arms around his neck. He held me closer to him, his arms tight around my waist. He deepened the kiss, a hand sliding up my back and tangling into my hair. A soft hum escaped my lips as he shifted me, making me straddle his lap. I felt my face burn with embarrassment as he did so, lifting me like I weighted nothing. I pulled back, my breath ragged.

We parted from each other, both panting and red in the face. His eyes fluttered open, his eyes smoldering and a smile pulling at his lips.

"Wow…." I breathed, touching my swollen lips. That…. That was my first kiss. I've never been kissed before, and I had my first kiss with Jeff.

"Yeah… wow…" he said, his voice deep and rough. He rubbed my hips softly, and I blushed even more at the realization of my position. He pressed his forehead to mine, and I smiled.

"Jeff, that… that was my first kiss." I said softly, looking down. His eyes widened and a laugh escaped his lips.

"Really? Wow! Hahahaha!" he petted my head and pecked my lips softly. "Well, I'm honored to have given you your first kiss, angel."

I blushed and yelped as he suddenly stood up, lifting me with him. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck as he walked over to my bed, his carved smile growing wider.

He flopped onto the bed, with me underneath him. He unzipped his hoodie and threw it onto the bed, then rolled over and laid next to me. I smiled as his kicked off his sneakers.

"I'm staying here tonight." He said, making himself comfortable. I rolled my eyes and giggled.

"Okay." I snuggled into his arms, feeling so safe. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head.

"Are you really okay with having a psychotic serial killer in your bed?" he smirk. I leaned up and kissed his lips softly.

"Yes. I am really happy to have this psychotic serial killer in my bed, because he keeps me safe." I smiled as he blushed.

"Y-yeah… you're mine." he held me protectively, his cheeks red and a slight pout on his lips._ Aww he's embarrassed._ I thought, amused. I giggled as I snuggled down into his arms, feeling absolutely elated. I fell asleep floating on a cloud, with Jeff by my side.


	27. The Haircut

"Are you sure about this?" He questioned, pulling at the towel I pinned around his neck. I gently slapped his hand away and gently tousled his damp hair.

"Yes. I've done it for Gwyn and my brother all the time. It's not my first time." I picked up a comb and started to run it through his hair. He looked up at me and smirked.

"That's not what I've heard." he said slyly, snaking his arms around my waist. I pursed my lips.

"Oh very funny, honey… hahaha…" I said facetiously as he leaned over and kissed my jaw. I smiled. Jeff gently nipped at my lips. We slept together last night, and it was the most comforting sleep I've ever had, and I woke in his arms. I gently kissed him as I combed his hair, gently pulling out the tangles and forming dreads. He winced as I pulled at a stray tangle, tightening his hands on my waist.

"Sorry sweetie." I brushed his hair out of his face and kissed him softly. He smiled and returned the kiss, holding my face in his calloused hands gently. He pulled me into his lap suddenly and deepened the kiss. I felt his tongue snake out and prod my lip, demanding access. I blushed and pulled back.

"Jeffery… you're trying to distract me. You know I have to this." I picked up a pair of sharp scissors and click it playfully. He sighed and let go of my waist.

"Don't fuck it up." I giggled and started to part his hair.

"Don't worry, I won't cut it too short. I'll just cut away the dead hair and keep it long enough." I smiled as I began to measure out the length.

)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(

_I sat still in the chair, tense as I heard the clipping of the scissors behind my head. I couldn't believe my luck! All this time fantasizing, watching and jacking off, and I finally have her here. Her lips are so soft, and when I kissed her, I felt a surge of happy electricity flow through my heart and body. It was the first time I've ever felt like this, and I… don't hate it. I don't hate it at all. I closed my eyes and imagined how sweet her mouth would taste if I could slide my tongue in there, and how she would moan if I just grabbed her everywhere while I tongued her down, taking her breath away in the literal sense. I shivered and suppressed a groan. Ughn… even though I have her, I want more of her. I would touch her and fuck her until she screamed. _

_I thought about what she had told me last night; about how it was her first kiss. How is it that I, a psychotic fuck who loves nothing more that the feeling of slipping a blade into someone's sternum and watching the life leave a person's eyes; the blood leave their body and staining everything in such a beautiful way…. The sounds of screams sounding like a symphony to my ears…._

_AH! Shit no, no, no! Away with those thoughts! I opened my eyes wide, bringing me back to reality. I can't have those thoughts... not while I'm around my Liu. I smiled. My Liu… her name doesn't even bother me anymore. The more I've watched her and fantasized about her, the less I see any kind of connection with her and my brother…. Heh, I wonder how he would have reacted if he were still alive and I had brought home a cute girl. Probably he'd be super jealous. I felt her shift around and saw her out of the corner of my eye. Through my hair, I saw her face, her brow furrowed in concentration as he clipped away a lot of my dead hair. It was too long, and it had matted and tangled to the point where dreadlocks were starting to form. And I didn't want those. I've tried before, and it was annoying; totally not my style. But I didn't doubt her abilities. And even if she did a bad job, who cares? It all grows back unevenly anyway. The front grows slower than the back, and I just didn't have the patience to cut it myself. _

_I kept my eye on her, still unable to believe that this beautiful creature is mine. How is it that no one ever tried to get with her? She was unbelievably sexy, so small and sweet, talented and caring beyond all compare, and even more unbelievable, she was attracted to me. How could anyone not turn their head and gawk at this angel? Her first kiss is mine… wait. If I took her fist kiss, does that mean…. That she's… a…a virgin?! I gulped hard and took a deep breath._

_ "__Jeff, are you okay?" she asked, combing my hair off to a side. I looked over to her and smiled. I loved the way she was biting her lower lip. It made her look so delicious. I wrapped my arm around her small waist and pulled her close, feeling her warmth. She smiled and kissed my head, feeling her lips burn into my scalp. I bit my tongue, stopping myself from just ripping off her clothes and pulling her onto my lap, touching her and finger fucking her until she screamed and begged me to fuck her. I groaned softly._

_ "__I'm almost done… just got to make sure that everything is even, then I'm going to dry it and tie it back… would that be okay?" she asked timidly. I pondered this. I've never had it tied back before. I nodded and she smiled. Her smile made my heart palpitate, and it beat hard against my ribcage. I closed my eyes, allowing her scent to envelope me and I let my fantasies run rampant. I just want to strip her down, cutting away her clothes layer by layer with my blade, biting and licking her from her lips to her thighs, nicking her here and there and licking away her droplets of blood while I taste her most tender places. I fought the urge to just attack her in her bed as I felt her pull back my now dry hair. She looked at me, and a blush came to her face. _

_ "__What?" I questioned, looking at her shy, fidgeting form. _

_ "__You look… so handsome." She bit her lip in such a sexy way, even though it was innocent and shy… fuck I want to taste her so badly! She stepped aside and I saw myself in her mirror. My eyes widened in surprise as I took myself in; my hair was still long, but cut in such a way that it hangs just below my clavicle, and the rest was tied back with a red ribbon. I looked so different… more mature…. More beautiful. My smile stood out so much more… everyone could see my beauty. I smiled and laughed._

_ "__I love it!" I exclaimed, ripping off the towel and lifting her up, spinning her around. She giggled, a beautiful, musical sound to my ears. I pressed my lips to hers, keeping my arms around her waist and pressing her body to mine. Our lips moved in unison, her plump soft lips moving shyly against mine. Mmmgh god damn, I want more. I slid my tongue out slowly, gently licking and prodding her lip, looking for entry. A soft moan escaped her lip and I felt her precursor to move away. I quickly bit her lip gently, holding myself back from being rough, even though I was sooooo tempted… fuck._

_ "__You've made me even more beautiful…fuck, Liu… thank you…" I murmured against her lips. I slid my hands down her waist and cupped her firm round ass. She let out an adorable, embarrassed squeak, and I held her tighter to my body._

_ "__Wrap your legs around me… I want to hold you up… I want to kiss you at my level…" I demanded with a gentle tone. Her face deepened to a dark red as she obeyed, wrapping her legs around my waist, her skirts ruffling as she did._

_ "__Mmm…. What a good girl…" I licked her lips as I slid my hands up her waist and into her hair. I nuzzled my face into her neck, and growled at the sounds of her sighs. So damn sexy._

_ "__I-I'm glad you like it Jeff honey…" she stammered softly, wrapping her arms around my neck. I smiled._

_ "__Like it? I love it! I feel brand new…. Just like when I made myself beautiful. You've enhanced it." I kissed her neck softly. She gasped softly._

_ "__J-Jeff!" she squeaked. I laughed as I pulled her hair carefully, pulling her head back so that I could get at her neck better. She gasped as I massaged her neck with my tongue. I moved slowly and pressed her back against her door, pinning her with my hips as I continued to lick and bite her neck gently. The sighs and light, soft moans that escaped her lips only fed my desires to ravage her against the door. I started to move my hips subconsciously, slowly grinding my hips into hers, feeling her heat against my pelvis. I kissed up her neck and chin and pressed my lips roughly to hers. She kissed me back with such eagerness and I took the opportunity to slide my tongue out. I prodded her lip with my tongue and she parted them ever so slightly, which was just enough to shove my tongue into her mouth roughly. She moaned in surprise as I caressed her tongue with mine, tasting her sweetness, like honeysuckle and sugar. Her perfume was so intoxicating; I felt a little dizzy. Our tongues danced together as I wove my fingers in her hair. Her moans were so arousing, I felt myself straining against my jeans. She pulled away, her face pink and her lips parted and panting slightly._

_ "__Oh Jeff… that… that was…. Wow" she breathed. I smirked and gently stroked her soft cheek._

_ "__Yeah… my beautiful girl…." I leaned my forehead against hers. She was so amazing…. I couldn't believe my luck. Holding myself back was going to be hell… but for her, I'd do anything._

_ "__Me? Beautiful?" her face burned up as she looked at me with those amazing greenish/hazel eyes. I noticed that they shone with some golden flecks around the irises. Wow._

_ "__Yes angel. You are so beautiful, even more so than me believe it or not" I chuckled. She smiled, making the whole room glow._

_My heart started to beat hard. I felt my stomach twist and a new feeling arose in me. It was strange, but strong. She was mine. I couldn't believe my luck, that I have an angel's heart. A demon, a monster like me with someone like her… I kissed her softly, a new resolve in my heart. I would protect her with everything I have. I'll do anything for her._

_I'll kill anyone who harms her..._


	28. Interrupted

I felt a rapid knock on my door, still being held up against it by Jeff. He closed his eyes, his expression annoyed and gently pecked my lips.

"You should answer that…" he whispered. I loosened my legs from his waist as he set me back down on the floor. I chastely fixed my skirt, my face burning with embarrassment. I can't believe that I did that with Jeff. I'm a lady for goodness sake! He stepped behind my door, to stay out of sight as I unlocked and opened it a crack.

"Oh for the love of- Arlen! What do you want?" I said irritably. He looked at me, his eyes wide.

"Oh, hey Chibi…. On your period or something?" "He said, a smirk on his face. I frowned.

"No! I was busy with… work." I murmured, seeing Jeff snicker silently out of the corner of my eye.

"Oh…. well I need you for something'." He grabbed my hand and pulled me out of my room.

"Hey hey hey! What on earth are you doing?" I tried to pull my arm away, but my brother's grip was too strong. We walked down the stairs and he opened the front door. He walked out into the yard, despite the snow.

"Help me with this." he said, pointing to a faced down figure in the snow. It was papa, passed out drunk on our yard in the middle of the day. I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Again? Oh I can't believe this!" it was the third time this week that Papa has been coming home so intoxicated that he couldn't make it to the front door. I sighed as I carefully stepped into the ankle deep snow.

"I'll grab his legs, you grab his arms… and up!" I grunted as Arlen and I lifted papa up from the snowy ground. We carried him back into the house, laying him on the sofa. I sighed and brushed my hair out of my face.

"I can't believe him…. do you think we should get him into AA?" Arlen asked me, rubbing his hands together. I shrugged.

"Yeah, I mean, if he doesn't try to kill us when we suggest it then sure… but you're gonna have to be the one to get all the information and break the news and stuff." I said, which caused my brother to shiver.

"Oooogh… Do I have to? Dad's gonna kill us for sure…"

"Yes." I scolded. "I've been dealing with Papa all alone while you've been out and about gallivanting with your band instead of helping me. So it's your responsibility to take care of it." I frowned as Arlen let out a childish whine.

"Fiiiiiiiiiiiine… I'll go online now and look up some information, and then get back to ya." And with that, he turned and trudged upstairs, leaving me alone with Papa. I sighed again and carefully took off Papa's shoes. I set them by the door and went back to my room. Jeff was laying on my bed as I shut the door, locking it behind me. He looked at me and sat up, a look of worry on his face as I sat beside him in the bed.

"Is everything okay?" he asked softly, wrapping his arms around my waist. His lips began to caress my neck softly. I shut my eyes and relaxed in his arms.

"Yeah… it's just Papa… Arlen and I are looking into putting him in to either Rehab, or Alcoholics Anonymous… I can't take it anymore…" I leaned my head against Jeff's shoulder.

"You shouldn't give a fuck about a piece of shit like him, whether he's your father or not… you should let me kill him…" I opened my eyes as he smirked down at me. I was laying on my back, with Jeff pinning me down. When did he do that?

"No, Jeff… please don't-" he kissed me, cutting me off from my protest. He smirked and gently caressed my cheek, his calloused hands warm against my cool cheek.

"I won't do it… but I swear if he lays a hand on you again, I can't promise that I won't do something. No one is allowed to touch you. Ever…. Only me…." he whispered, moving his hand down my cheek to my neck. He wrapped his hand round my neck and squeezed gently. I gasped, a strange mix of fear and excitement flowing through me. He leaned down and bit my lip, his eyes on me as he slid his tongue out and licked my lips, slowly yet a little roughly sliding it into my parted lips. He kissed me deeply, dominantly, and I whimpered slightly from the roughness. I felt my heart beat quickly as he settled himself down on top of me and started to bite my lip. I kissed him softly, and received a passionate kiss in return. I felt my face heat up as I wrapped my arms around his neck as we kissed. A low growl sounded from his throat as he started to grind his hips into mine, his hands caressing my hips and waist. I blushed and parted my lips, his tongue invading again instantly. A moan of surprise escaped my lips as he became rough once again, gripping at my body and kissing me in a display of animalistic desire. I pulled away, gasping softly.

"Jeff…" I sighed as his teeth began to graze my neck. He grunted as he continued to ravish my neck, the stinging pain of his teeth marking my skin. I bit my lip to stop myself from whimpering. He chuckled and kissed the new marks on my neck.

"I think that's enough for now." He said huskily, a playful smirk on his face. I felt my face heat up in embarrassment.

"You're so mean!" I huffed, looking away shyly. He chuckled and kissed my cheek.

"I know," He sat up and licked his lips. I punched his arm, which caused him to laugh out loud. I covered his mouth to stifle his laughter.

"Hush!" I hissed at him, feeling panic rising in my chest. He continued to laugh behind my hands as he scooped me up and pulled me into his lap. I bit my lip as he pulled my hands down and wrapped my arms around me, pinning my arms down to my sides as he nuzzled my neck.

"Don't worry, even if they hear me they will never catch me. I'll make sure of it." he murmured softly. I smiled. He was being so affectionate… it was almost unbelievable, even laughable, to think that this man is the insane murderer that terrorizes this town.

"Oh Jeff…" I sighed as a loud knock sounded from my bedroom door.

Jeff sighed as we got off of my bed. "This is getting annoying. I'll see you later." He grumbled as he pulled up his hood and made his way to my window.

"You're leaving?!" I said, feeling sorrow rise in my chest. He smiled and kissed my forehead.

"I'll be back tonight angel." He said as he opened my window. I smiled, despite feeling a little sad as I watched him climb down the trellis, ignoring the knocking on my door. I closed the window the second he was out of site. I smiled as I answered my door, unable to wait for tonight and Jeff's return.

***A/N: Sorry for not being consistent, but between work, and comp troubles, I might not be as consistent in updates for a while, but I'm going to try. I'm also going to be posting a new fic soon, this time about the Slenderman, so be sure to look out for it in the near future. Much love 3 S.A~***


	29. Help He Needs

"What is it now Arlen?" I said as I opened my door. He started to speak, but then gave me a rather strange look. I looked at him back.

"Yes? What is it?" I questioned, but he continued to stare at me. I was about to shut the door when Arlen slammed his hand against my door hard. I flinched and stepped back.

"What in the-?"

"The fuck is that?" he said, his voice deep with anger. I blinked in confusion.

"What's what?" I murmured as he reached out and grabbed my chin and turned my head. My eyes widened in realization: Jeff left hickeys on me!

"Nothing!" I swatted his hands away and brushed my hair to obscure the view. His eyes narrowed.

"Who's the fucker that left those on you?" he said aggressively. I threw him a look.

"None of your business." I said with some venom. How dare he?

"Fuck that! You're MY little sister. I make it my business to know what kind of shit ball is going to be touching you." He shouted, seeming angrier than I think he should be. I flinched, shrinking back. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"I'm sorry Chibi, I'm just protective… I forget that you aren't a kid anymore…" he sighed again. I shook my head.

"You know I'm not a kid… and don't worry about it." I placed my hand on my brother's shoulder and he smiled cheekily.

"So who's the lucky shit?" he said teasingly.

"None of your bee's guts. He's… kind of shy." I looked down. No way am I introducing Jeff to Arlen.

He chuckled. "Damn… well I better meet him soon. Its only right, y'know? Oh!" he handed me a small stack of papers. "These are some rehab clinics I looked up that are in the area. I wanted you to look at some of the info before we go and check it out."

I flipped through some of the papers, seeing the names for some rehabilitation clinics that I recognize. Some of them were in the city, and some were a little more out of the city. I nodded.

"I'll take the time and look at these… and work on my stuff… I'll come and bother you when I've settled on the one we should check out first." Arlen petted my head.

"Take your time, we'll talk about it tomorrow when you come back from classes." he left on that note, leaving me to rifle through the print outs of the various clinics.

)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(

"No… No… No… ugh!" I groaned as I threw the last print out onto the floor. All of these clinics were too expensive, and though they were excellent, they were far out of my financial range. I laid face down on my bed, burying my face into my pillow. I spent all day with Arlen looking for affordable rehab clinics to check out for Papa's problem. But they were all so pricey. We've ruled out A.A; goodness knows Papa would never willingly go to each meeting on his own for an extended period of time. But looking at these clinics… even the cheapest clinic was unaffordable to us. We didn't have this kind of money, and it would take both my brother and I a long time just to be able to save up for a month's worth of help. I'll have to look for a job again, as well of Arlen. I got out of bed, already dressed in my pajamas for the night; a tank top and shorts set, black with small white crescent moons decorating it and frills adorning the hems and went to my brother's room with the printout of the cheapest clinic. Sounds of yelling and shooting as well as my brother shouting sounded from behind his bedroom door. I sighed as I knocked on his door. The sounds had lowered and he opened his door, holding a game controller and wearing a headset.

"Oh, what's up Chibi? Did you decide on the thing?" he said as I rolled my eyes.

"Mute your mic. We need to talk." I stepped into his room as he dismissed his online friends and he set himself safely prone in his first person shooter game. I sat on the edge of the bed and held up the print out.

"So I've decided that this clinic would be the best option. It's relatively close by, and it's the most affordable option that we have, as long as we get steady jobs. They specialize in not only addiction, but also mental illness and psychiatry distress, which I think could also attribute to Papa's alcohol dependency and violent outbursts. He can get the help he really needs here… the only issues we would have, other than the price, is to get him to agree to get admitted." Arlen took the print out from me and looked it over as I spoke, his eyes widening when he came to highlighted price of admission for the clinic.

"Shit… we don't have this kind of money Liu! We would either have to work full times jobs, or whore ourselves, just to be able to make this amount and have enough to get food for the week." He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. I frowned softly.

"I know….I can't go to work full time because of school… but I think we can do it. I have some money saved up that I can contribute, without dipping into the inheritance Mama left. I'd rather we didn't touch that unless absolutely necessary…" Arlen nodded in agreement; he knew that that money was to pay off my school, and he was more than willing to let me have the inheritance and use it for that purpose. He didn't want me to struggle to pay back my loans after I graduate. He sighed.

"I'll go online and start looking for some work. Maybe in a music store in the city, they pay pretty well, especially if you know about instruments other than just the general name of them." He smirked and rolled his computer chair to his desktop. I smiled.

"Thank you Arlen… I'll look for a job myself too. Preferably something in the arts. Or something that pays well at least. We really can't be too picky right now."

"Agreed. Anything right now is better than nothing. You go to bed Chibi. You have class tomorrow and I have to go out and job hunt." I stood and hugged him. He patted my head and I turned to leave his room. He may be a slacker stoner musician, but he can still be a pretty awesome brother.

I shut and locked my bedroom door, and was suddenly attacked by Jeff, his lips pressing against mine roughly. I squeaked in surprise and wrapped my arms around him.

"Mmm… I missed you" he purred against my lips softly and huskily, his sticky hands caressing my cheeks softly. I jumped and flinched back, seeing the blood on his hands. I pushed him away gently and looked at him. He was covered in fresh blood splatters; it was in his hair, on his face and just…everywhere.

"Jeffry!" i shrieked, horrified. He laughed.

"What? Not used to seeing me in my full splendor?" he smirked. I shook my head, unable to take my eyes off of him. i felt nauseous. I didn't like the sight of blood, at least not like this. i gulped and took a deep breath.

"Please… just… shower… please." It was all I managed to say. Jeff nodded, seeming to understand my reaction but the manic smile was still on his face.

"Anything for you angel." He said softly, though his voice betrayed some disappointment. He kissed my forehead and went into my bathroom. I heard the water start to run as i took out a towel from my dresser and knocked on the door. He opened the door, only wearing his jeans, exposing his muscular, pale and scarred torso. I froze and just stared at him. He was like a Greek statue, only marred with scars; lean and muscular. So much a man, it made me feel shy and childish. I looked down shyly and handed him a towel. He chuckled and took the towel from me. He then lifted my chin, making me look at him.

"Like what you see?" he said teasingly, causing my face to catch fire. He chucked and kissed me softly. He then handed me his sweater.

"Wash this for me… and I'll join you in the bed in a few." He smiled and pecked my cheek, then shut the bathroom door. i stood there, paralyzed by my own embarrassment. The memory of his naked body flooded through me, remembering when he was ill and when I had to wash him… his warm, muscular body… the feeling of the scars under my fingers and I lathered his body with soap… I sighed and shook my head.

I shouldn't be thinking like that… but it made me feel good… oh what is wrong with me?


	30. Persuasion

"So you're sending your old man to a Rehab center?" Jeff asked as he stared at the pamphlet print out. He was lying on my bed, his hair dripping wet, shirtless wearing a pair of my brother's old basketball shorts. He supported his head on his elbow and looked at me as I continued typing on my laptop.

"Yeah. It was the only solution I could think of to get rid of Papa, without resorting to homicide," I said pointedly to him, who smirked and sat up. "Besides, Papa really needs help. Who he is when he's drunk… it isn't him. He raised me after my father was killed when I was five. He taught me so much, and he never had hurt me… but after Mama got sick he began drinking. It wasn't excessive at first, but he gradually got worse. He would drink all day, and become loud and verbally abusive. When Mama passed, he became violent. He started hitting me and throwing things at me, such as plates." My voice trailed off. I touched the scar on my eye and frowned.

"Is that how you got that scar, angel?" Jeff whispered in my ear. I didn't notice him leave my bed. He was standing behind me, his arms around me. I sighed.

"He hit me in the face with a cracked beer bottle. I-I yelled at him about his drinking. It was a few days after mama's funeral…" I shook my head and took a deep breath. "A few days after Mama's funeral, I tried to talk to Papa about his drinking. He was surrounded by beer bottles. I tried to convince him to get sober, with no results. So I lost my temper and yelled at him. He got mad and…" I shook my head as Jeff wiped away the tears I hadn't realized were falling. He kissed me and lifted me, taking my place on my computer chair as he sat me on his lap and cradled me. I looked up at him and he looked at me stoically, but his normally blue eyes darkened, nearly black with rage that he was suppressing. I felt fear rise in my chest as I quickly lifted my lips to his, hearing him groan as I kissed him calm. His grip tightened on my waist as he kissed me back, his tongue roughly sliding into my mouth. I hummed at the sudden invasion as he roughly kissed me, his hand grabbing and squeezing my hips, bum and thighs. I had my arms around his neck, and I tightened my grip as he shifted me to straddle his lap and he stood up. I quickly wrapped my legs around his waist to stop from falling; only to yelp when his hands grabbed my bum firmly, squeezing as his teeth grazed my lip.

"Naughty girl, are you trying to seduce me?" he said, his voice dripping with lust as his darkened eyes smoldered dangerously. I gulped as I felt the heat rise to my face. He smirked and kissed me with surprising gentleness.

"I won't force you, you know. As much as it kills me because I want you really badly." He pressed his lips to my neck as he carried me to my bed. He laid me down while holding me, pressing his body against mine. He looked at me and kissed my chin.

"You have no idea how hard it is to keep my control when I'm around you. So sweet and innocent, I just want to ruin you." He bit my neck as I gasped. He slid off of me and pulled me against his chest. I looked up at him, confused.

"W-what do you mean Jeff?" I asked quietly. He looked at me, his eyes blue once again. He grabbed my chin and pressed his lips to mine, softly at first but as we kissed, I noticed his hands were roaming my body. His warm hands caressed my hips and thighs, sending an amazing heat throughout my body. I pressed my body against his, deepening the kiss and earning a surprised growl from Jeff. He pushed me down and started to roughly grab at me, his tongue invading my mouth as his hands grabbed and squeezed my bum, my hips and breasts. I wrapped my arms around his neck as our tongues danced, his movements becoming more aggressive and heated. With some effort, I pulled away, feeling overwhelmed.

"Jeff…" I sighed as he kissed my neck. He looked at me, a mix of lust and worry in his eyes. "I…. I'm not ready for… for..." he bit my lip to hush me. He sighed.

"I know angel, didn't I already tell you that I won't force you. But you make it sooooooo hard…. Pun intended." I giggled as he stuck out his tongue teasingly. I snuggled into his arms as he flicked off my desk lamp. I let the veil of sleep fall over me as Jeff's deep breathing lulled me.

I felt my hair ruffle slightly as Jeff nuzzled his face into my hair. "My angel…"

)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(

_ "__My angel…" I murmured as I felt Liu relax and fall asleep in my arms. I laid with her in my arms, feeling her warm softness against my body. I ran my fingers through her hair and listened out for a sound of a car. It was time for me do something to this son of a bitch to stop him from touching what's mine. I'm tired of seeing her cry in her sleep, tired of seeing her flinch every time someone raises their voice, tired of seeing here afraid of being touched, even by me. She tries hard to not show it, but she can't hide it from me. She's afraid; I don't want her to be anymore. I just hope what I'm going to do won't cause any more harm._

_As soon as I was sure that she was asleep, I carefully moved her and slid myself from under her body. As soon as I was sure that she was sound asleep, I got off of her bed and dressed into my now warm clothes. I sat on her balcony, my hood up and a cigarette in my mouth as I kept my eye on her driveway. I could see it with no problem from where I sat and was sure that no one could see me. I tapped the ash off my cig as I stared down the street. That mother fucker wouldn't go to rehab without a fight; that I know. Shit stains like him are the types I like to kill the most; stubborn fighter types that lash out the second they're made to look like a fool. Was I going to kill Liu's dad? I was going to try not to, but the temptation will be there. I've only heard about a small fraction of the misery that he has caused my angel, and I don't want him to touch her ever again. I stubbed out my cigarette as a beat up old '95 Ford pulled into the driveway. As silently as I could I ran out of the bedroom and snuck my way to the darkened foyer._

_I waited behind the door for him to open it, my hands twitching in anticipation. I fought the urge to grab the knife that was in my pocket. Some habits are hard to kick. I held my breath as the door was unlocked so excruciatingly slow. The door opened as the stench of sex, sweat and alcohol flooded into the foyer. I grimaced as the man stumbled into the house. The second he shut the door I sprung, grabbing in a sleeper hold from behind. He grunted in surprise as he began to fight, swinging his arms in an attempt to hit my face. I tightened my grip on the broad man as he staggered back and slammed me against the door. I grunted in pain from the door knob hitting my hip repeatedly as I tightened my grip even more, cutting off his air supply. He struggled a little bit longer, and then fell to his knees in a slump. I carefully loosened my grip as the man fell to the floor. I panted, rubbing my hip as I kicked the old fuck in the ribs, pissed at the damage that he's done to me. But that will be nothing compared to what I'm going to do to him. I took a deep breath, then grabbed his legs and started to drag him out the door._

_"__Wakey, wakey sleeping beauty" I growled, slapping the now bound man across the face hard. He flinched and started awake. I smiled, feeling the hatred and rage fill me. This piece of shit calls himself a father?_

_He looked at my face, his face a mask of horror as the color drained from it. "Who the fuck are you?" his voice was filled with anger and it made me smile even more. Oh this was going to be fun! _

_I laughed softly, holding all the joy in the world in my voice. "My name is Jeff the Killer… I'm quite famous you know." I chuckled as I let my words register. He started to breathe hard._

_"__Please…. Please don't kill me. What is it that you want? Money? Booze? Drugs? Hell, I can even get you some pussy if you want. My daughter- ooof!" I shut him up by backhanding his mouth. I heard a sickening crack as his jaw dislocated. He groaned in pain and spat up blood and some teeth. He fucking makes me sick._

_"__Offering your own kid? Geez, and here I thought I was the sick fuck. You call yourself a father?" I spat at him, my anger starting to boil. He started whimpering. God, what a fucking waste of skin._

_"__I'm sorry…. I'm sorry..." he groaned, his voice muffled by the blood and rapidly swelling jaw. I sighed. I had to make this quick or else Liu or her brother will wake up. I only dragged him into their garage, not wanting to make his disappearance too noticeable. I held my knife up to his neck._

_"__I won't kill you just yet… I'll give you one last chance. I hate people, but I hate pieces of shit like you that just give up. So I'll make you a deal: fix your shit, and I'll let you and your family live. Continue to fuck up, and I'll slit your fucking throat and make you watch as I kill your family while you slowly bleed to death. And I'll make sure you die slowly and painfully." I pulled my knife away and, with a sharp jerk, snapped his jaw back into place. He screamed in agony and shouted obscenities at me. His sounds were pissing me off, so I began to punch him. He only got louder, so I let my rage take over and began to hit him over and over and over again._

_I don't know when I stopped, but when I did, Liu's father was beaten and bloody, unconscious in the chair he was bound in. I unbound him and dragged him to the front of the house. I lifted his head by his hair and whispered in his ear._

_"__I'll be watching…"_


	31. Feelings

I felt the warmth of the morning sun flood throughout my room as I opened my eyes. I sat up, careful not to wake Jeff who was still sleeping besides me as I stretched, feeling absolutely refreshed. I couldn't even remember the last time I slept so well! I laid back down and turn towards Jeff, burying my face in his chest. He groaned as he wrapped his arms around me and held me tightly.

"What time is it?" he grumbled, opening an eye lazily to look at me. I smiled. He's so adorable!

"Early… sorry if I woke you sweetie." I said softly, and kissed him gently. He smiled and pulled me even closer to him, if that were even possible. He ran his fingers through my hair and began to hum tunelessly.

"Mmmm… can we stay in bed for a little while longer?" he mumbled into my hair as he rolled over me, crushing me slightly with his weight. I turned onto my back as he loomed over me, a sleepy smirk on his lips. I smiled as his hair tickled my cheek. I caressed his cheek, watching his as he leaned into my hand. My heart fluttered at the affectionate gesture, and I felt warmth throughout my body. God, I love this man. It makes me wonder: does he feel the same way about me? I know we've only just started this relationship, but I've had these feelings for some time now. He has only been physically intimate with me. He looked at me, his blue eyes warm and sparkling. He leaned down and pressed his rough lips to mine gently, pushing away my doubts for the moment.

"Yeah… I think that's okay… I don't have class until later, so I think it'll be okay if we stayed in bed just a little longer." I smiled softly as I kissed him. He purrs in pleasure as he bit my lip. I sighed as he leaned closer and started to kiss and bite my neck. I wrapped my arms around him as he continued to kiss my neck and caress my hips. I closed my eyes as I felt his warmth surround me, as well as grow within me.

"Maybe we should continue where we left off from last night, hm?" Jeff said deviously as he settled himself on top of me. I felt the heat rise to my chest as I remembered the intimacy we shared last night. He slid his hands up my shirt, his fingers gently rubbing up my ribs and to my chest, cupping my bra with his hands. He gently pressed his lips to mine, and I ran my fingers though his hair. He wrapped his arms around me as our kiss began to deepen and he suddenly rolled so that I was on top of him. I squeaked in surprise as he bit my lip, preventing me from pulling away. A soft moan escaped my lips as his tongue gently entered my lips and caressed mine slowly and softly; I was absolutely stunned once again by his gentleness as his hands roamed my back, rubbing my skin in a deep, massage-like way as we kissed.

A loud, urgent banging on my door suddenly sounded, startling us both. I pulled away from Jeff as he muffled his profanities into my pillow. I rolled off the bed and fixed my shirt as I walked up to my door.

"Yeah?" I said softly through the door, hoping with all my might that it wasn't Papa.

"Liu?" it was Arlen and his voice sounded urgent. "Liu you need to come downstairs." I unlocked my door and carefully stepped out. My brother's face was pale and set in a stony frown.

"What happened Arlen? Is Papa okay?" I was worried now. Papa has been getting himself in trouble lately, and I would hate for anything to have happened to him.

"It seems it finally happened. Pops got fucked up." He said as we descended the stairs. I gasped.

"Oh my god! Is he okay? In the hospital?! We have to-" I started panicking but Arlen held my arm and shushed me.

"No, no Liu, dad's okay for the most part. It seems like he must've gotten into a fight with someone at the bar last night… he in the kitchen now…" I peeked into the kitchen and gasped: Papa was completely bruised and bloodied. His jaw was swollen, as if it had been dislocated, and his face was just covered in bruises and dried blood. His clothes were dirty and ripped. I took a deep breath and walked into the kitchen.

"Papa? W-what happened to you?" I said softly, a frown adorning my face. He looked at me, a look of shame and sadness in his eyes.

"I got fucked up, Liu. Was coming home and… shit I don't remember, but some ghost face looking asshole with a fucked up smile attacked me last night… I don't remember much but after that encounter, it got me thinking; I think I should stop drinking. I need to get my shit together. Hell, I was so fucked up last night I wasn't sure what I saw, but it was enough to scare me." He sipped his coffee as I bit the inside of my cheek. I was absolutely livid. I took a deep breath and spoke as calmly as I could.

"Well, Papa, I'm happy you are willing to change. Arlen and I have actually been looking into clinics where you can get the help you need. We wanted to talk to you about it, but we weren't sure when to approach you about it." I said quietly. He looked at me and sighed.

"Okay. I'll go. I'll make an appointment this afternoon to whatever clinic you want me to go to." He said, his voice cracking slightly. I nodded and walked out of the kitchen, passing Arlen without a word and stomped back to my room.

"What did you do?!" I said sternly the second I shut the door. Jeff looked up at me from my bed, shirtless and laying under the covers with his hands behind his head. He smiled knowingly.

"What do you mean, angel?" his voice was innocent, and it made me even madder.

"Why did you attack my father, Jeff?!" I said, my knuckles popping as I clenched my fists. "you promised you wouldn't do anything! Why did you go behind my back?" he sat up, his face set in a passive expression.

"Because I didn't want him to hurt you again." His voice was steady and deep. My eyes widened in surprise.

"I saw what it does to you, Liu. What he has done, and I won't allow it to continue anymore. A kid should never be afraid of their parent when there are worse evils like me in this world to be afraid of. You don't know how badly I want to end him and take you away from here, but I knew if I did, it would only hurt you and that's the _last_ thing I want to do to you. So I simply… convinced him to get this shit together so that he wouldn't hurt you anymore." He looked down and rubbed his neck sheepishly.

I was stunned. "You…. You did that for me?" I was still angry, but that anger was overshadowed by disbelief that Jeff would do such a thing.

"Yeah. I'd do anything for you Liu." His tone was so serious; I didn't have it in me to hold on to my anger anymore. Instead, I felt tears well in my eyes. No one has ever done something like that for me. Not even Gwyn, even though she has done so much for me over the years. I looked down, feeling the tears slowly trickle down.

"Jeff…. Even though it wasn't the right way to go about it… thank you. He- he has agreed to go into rehab. Arlen is probably showing him the printout of the clinic we've chosen for him." I looked up. Jeff had his arms out to me and I quickly entered into his embrace. He pulled me onto his lap and began stroking my hair.

"I'm sorry… I didn't know any other way of doing it. Heh, it's not like I can just talk to him right?" he scoffed, smirking. I pursed my lips, but I knew he was right. Papa wouldn't have listened to reason in his intoxicated state. He would have been so aggressive. Jeff had humbled him in his own sadistic way. I held Jeff's hand and saw the bruises and scrapes on his knuckles. I kissed each knuckle gently and looked up at him. My breath caught; the look in his eyes, the indescribable warmth and feeling that radiated from them both confused and unnerved me. I leaned up and kissed him gently. He returned my kiss just as gently and wrapped his arms around me. Though I shouldn't feel relieved and happy that he got my father to agree to rehab in a such a violent manner, I was. I felt a burst of hope in my heart; maybe he really does love me.

**_*~I'm back everyone! Sorry for the lack of updates, but between work, classes and life I've been having a hard time being consistent. Well I'm going to try and keep some consistencies so expect more updates to 'An Interesting Development' and 'Melodies' in the near future. You are all lovely! S.A~ *_**


	32. I Love You

I was sitting in front of my easel, staring at a blank canvas. I held a watercolor pencil in my hand, dry as bone. I couldn't concentrate on my statue model that I had to draw and paint a still portrait of after the events that conspired today.

_"__Sunny Pastures Asylum and Rehabilitation Center, where those with addictions and mental illness are treated with the utmost care!" said the bubbly blonde nurse at the front desk. She seemed way too happy a person to be working in such a sterile and somber looking place. Despite its namesake, it was such a dismal place. The nurse, who had informed us that her name was Susan, practically jumped for joy when we informed her that we wished to admit my father for rehabilitation._

_ "__Addiction Rehabilitation dear? Fantastic! You've come to the best place for addiction rehab, sugarplum!" Nurse Susan said as she began to give us a tour throughout the gloomy building._

_She led us through the sterile corridors, informing us about the many programs and activities that there are to help those who've struggled with addiction and mental distress._

_ "__Now," She said, leading us down a hallway towards the courtyard. "Besides addiction, as you're well aware, we also deal with patients that suffer from mental illness and distress, giving them a safe place to stay and learn to deal with their unfortunate circumstances. Some patients, however, are more permanent residents than others; due to the nature of their illness of course! But most often they stay to themselves, or are locked away in solitary confinement if they stir up a bit of trouble." She smiled and patted my arm in reassurance after seeing my horror struck face._

_ "__Trouble?" Arlen asked, just as disturbed as I was._

_ "__Now dears, don't you worry, we tend to keep our rehabilitation patients separate from our asylum patients. Your daddy is gonna be juuuuust fine! Now, would you like to see our courtyard?" she didn't bother for an answer when she led me, Arlen and Papa, who was completely silent throughout our tour, to the courtyard._

_The courtyard was a large space with a large fountain in the center, surrounded with four curved stone benches. The grass was bright green and neatly trimmed, and there were steel lawn tables and chaired scattered around the gated courtyard. it was actually pretty nice._

_We began to walk around the courtyard, where some of the asylum inhabitants were relaxing outside. Some were babbling to themselves, some were running around and screaming. Others were just participating in simple activity like playing cards or eating…grass. I frowned, tuning out Nurse Susan as she went over some of the activities they offered and looked around the courtyard. I skimmed my eyes over the flowers and bushes and looked at the fence. It was tall and capped with barbed wire. I continued to look around, when a familiar figure made me freeze. _

_He stood underneath a tree on the other side of the gate, his hood up and his hands in his pockets, but I know Jeff's aloof demeanor anywhere. Throwing a quick look over my shoulder, to see if Papa, Arlen or Nurse Susan would notice, I walked over to the fence._

_ "__What are you doing here?" I asked as I stood up against the fence, grabbing it. Jeff grabbed the fence from the other side, his smirking lips parted into an affectionate smile._

_ "__I wanted to see if that old fuck would keep his promise. Looks like he did. Amazing what a little ass-kicking can do." He chuckled, then raked his eyes up and down._

_ "__Well aren't you absolutely sexy, Alice." He smiled mischievously, looking at my white blouse and light blue pinafore and white petticoat through my open cream colored jacket. I wore my hair loosely with a black headband, and black mary-janes with thick white stockings, looking a little like Alice from _Alice in Wonderland_. I blushed as he leaned closer._

_ "__Care to go mad tonight, Little Alice, and let me explore your rabbit hole?" he said, licking his lips in a lewd manor. I pouted, my face as red as a tomato._

_ "__Stop that you big perv." I stammered as I leaned closer to Jeff, feeling his heat. He chuckled a he placed his hand over mine on the fence._

_ "__Yeah, but you love me." He teased leaning his head down my level. I smiled, feeling my heart beat speed up._

_ "__I… I do."_

_ "__What?" his face was a mask of shock._

_I smiled as I looked into his blue eyes. "I love you, Jeff." I looked down shyly. He was silent for a long while. I peeked up at him through my lashes, and saw the huge smile that broke onto his face._

_He leaned down and pressed his face against the fence, his lips brushing my forehead. "I am so happy Liu." He sad huskily. I looked up at him and smiled. I pressed my lips to his softly._

_ "__Yoo Hoo! Miss Valentine! It's time to go! What are you doing over there darlin'?" I heard Nurse Susan shout suddenly. I turned quickly to see her walking over briskly to me, with Papa and Arlen in tow._

_ "__I'll see you tonight, and show you how much you mean to me." He whispered. I turned to respond, but Jeff was gone. Nurse Susan then ushered us back into the main mezzanine to get Papa's paperwork together._

I stared at the single line I drew. I felt anxious and excited about what Jeff had said. How would he show me how much I meant to him? I hope he didn't mean… sex. I felt a heavy weight in my stomach. It wasn't like I wasn't ready… I just fear I wouldn't be good enough for him. I shook my head and sighed. I can't think about this right now! My project was due in two days and I haven't even begun it, being overwhelmed with written work and getting Papa into rehab. He was admitted today, and now it's just me alone home, what with Arlen now working nights in the music store in near the city. I plugged in my MP3 into my gummy bear speaker and blasted some J-Pop music, getting myself into the groove and threw myself into my work.

I hadn't realized how late it has gotten, but the sun was already down when I finished detailing the sculpture portrait. I smiled as I signed the corner of the canvas and carefully set it aside to dry some before I sealed the painting in a finishing coat of paint. I danced over to my desk and dug around the drawers looking for a spray can of paint sealer. I opened a few drawers and managed to find a small spray can of matte finishing spray. I shook the can, surprised to feel how light it was and how hollow it sounded. I grimaced as I gave it a few test spritzes, a few drops only came out.

"Darn, I ran out?" I shook the can furiously, frustrated.

"Ran out of spray paint Alice?" I jumped at the mocking sound of Jeff's voice. I whirled around and way him sitting on my bed, his legs outstretched and crossed as he leaned against the headboard with his hands behind his head, my cat curled comfortably next to him.

"When did you get in here?!" I shouted, clutching a hand to my heart. He chuckled and stretched lazily while Scrappy stretched out and adjusted himself, purring loudly.

"A while ago, while you were singing badly with your music while shaking your cute butt and jumping about" he chuckled as my cheeks burned. I pouted as I jumped onto the bed with him. He wrapped his arms around me.

"I can't believe you saw that! How embarrassing…" I buried my face in his chest and I felt it rumble with laughter.

"you were so adorable…" he murmured into my hair. I felt my face burn even more. I looked up at him and saw the gentle warmth in his eyes. I gently kissed him and I felt him smile.

"I feel so happy with you, Liu" he whispered against my lips. My heart began to palpitate as I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tightly. We sat in each other's embrace for a while, feeling each other's warmth as the happiness flowed through me. I looked up at him as his smile turned into a cheeky smirk.

"So, little Alice, can I explore your rabbit hole now?" Moment ruined. I huffed and jumped off of the bed.

"Oh hush…. Regardless, I need to go to the store. I need to seal my painting." I threw the empty can into my trash can and grabbed my cream colored jacket. "You can relax here while I go to the store. My brother won't be home until later tonight, so you can roam around if you- Ah!" I jumped as I felt Jeff's arms snake around my waist.

"I want to go." He said softly.

"What?"

"I want to go with you."

I turned to face him

"But what if you get caught?" I frowned slightly. He gently stroked my cheek.

"I won't get caught."

"But what if-"

"Liu. I promise you: I. Won't. Get. Caught." He said slowly and reassuringly. I sighed and mulled it over for a moment. I mean, the art shop was only a few streets away; twenty minutes at most. There couldn't be any harm if we went inconspicuously.

"Okay."


	33. Disastrous Date

"This is stupid!"

"Jeff!"

"I'm serious Liu. Why do I have to wear this?" he pulled at the large scarlet scarf that covered about two-thirds of his face. I gently readjusted the scarf, earning a scowl from my homicidal boyfriend. I frowned.

"Because we're trying to be incognito. I don't want you to attract any unwanted attention." I adjusted his hood; a dark blue pull over hoodie that belongs to Arlen. Jeff's hoodie was soaking in my sink with some detergent to remove some of the dried in blood stains. He sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets, clearly annoyed.

"I'm sorry Jeff..." I looked down. I felt really bad about making Jeff hide himself, especially since I know how much he likes to show off his appearance. It made him almost completely narcissistic that way, but he reluctantly agreed. It was for his safety, as well as mine. The police circled my neighborhood a lot during the night due to all the killings Jeff had done in the last few months, although the patrols have diminished some ever since Jeff moved his target killings into the city. But I still couldn't risk him just walking outside with me normally.

I felt his arm drape around my shoulder and pull me closer to him. I looked up at him.

"I'd only do it for you Liu." He said gruffly. He was still annoyed, but it made me smile. He was doing it for me. I pulled his arm from my shoulder and slipped my hand into his. He looked at our hands, then looked away. I bit my lip, unsure if he hated holding hands. I was about to let go, when Jeff suddenly tripped on a crack on the pavement. He caught himself, and then rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"S-sorry…" he grumbled. I looked at him, confused. Wait… he couldn't be…?

"Jeff, are you… nervous?" I asked softly. He looked at me, incredulous.

"Wha? Me? Nervous? I don't get nervous." He said unconvincingly, looking away from me. I smiled.

"Whatever you say babe." I said, hugging his arm. He laughed softly.

"'Babe'? that's a new one Liu." He said, still chuckling. I pouted.

"What? Is it that strange? I-I mean; isn't that what girls call their boyfriends? Right?" I peered up at him uncertainly. He pulled down his scarf and kissed my forehead.

"Yeah, I guess so. Babe." He affixed his scarf back over his mouth as I felt my face burn. We walked hand in hand to the nearly empty art supply store.

"So what is it that you're looking for?" Jeff mumbled looking at the different cans and bottles of paint. He lifted a bottle and read the label.

"A top coat. Preferably a matte instead of a glossy one." I picked up the small spray can and smiled.

"Found it." I placed it into the basket and continue to cruise the aisle. Jeff followed close behind. I hummed softly as I grabbed some bottles of paint and a new paintbrush.

"Don't you have enough paintbrushes?" he asked, bringing to mind the abnormally large coffee can filled with various paintbrushes that sits on my desk. I smiled.

"I needed a new fan brush. The one I have is shedding too much. I'm going to throw it away when we get ho- oh!" I bumped into something large and solid. I looked up and saw that it was someone's back.

"Oh geez! I'm sorry" I said quickly. The person chuckled and turned.

"It's fine, Liu." He smiled

"Ruvel!" I blushed and smiled as he patted my head.

"Hello Liu… what are you doing here so late?"

I gestured to my basket. "Just getting some materials to finish a project. What about you?"

"Same, sort of…." His words faded as his eyes flickered to Jeff, who was standing silently behind me. He smiled faded and his eyes became hard. He grabbed my arm and guided me to the cashier,

"Ah! What's wrong Ru-?"

"We need to leave. Now." He growled under his breath. I flinched at the unaccustomed harshness.

"Why?" I looked up at him as he paid for both of our items. He remained silent as he grabbed my arm and our bags and pulled me out of the store. He walked fast, causing me to stagger in keeping up. I pulled my arm, trying to break Ruvel's vice like grip to no avail.

"Ruvel, wait!" I stumbled over some wet pavement. He stopped to steady me and took a deep breath.

"Why are we rushing?" I looked up at him, confused.

"Liu, you're in danger. There was a madman in there-"

""Madman"? I prefer the term "Beautiful Anarchist" myself." A deep growling voice said behind me. Before I could even turn my head, Ruvel pushes me behind him as he took out a long dagger from his jacket pocket. I looked past his arm over to Jeff, whose eyes were dark and a malicious smile on his face. I suppressed a shiver. It frightened me to see him like that. _But he is a murderer_, I reminded myself, and a heavy wave of dread washed over me. How easy it is for me to forget that Jeff is a murderer!

Jeff laughed coldly and pulled his knife from his pocket. He pulled off the scarf and threw it at my feet.

"Didn't anyone ever teach you that you shouldn't take other people's things?" growled, chuckling darkly. Ruvel raised his blade and stood in front of me defensively.

"She isn't yours! I won't let you take her Jeff…" Ruvel said softly. He suddenly ran forward and thrusted his blade towards Jeff, aiming for his chest. A scream lodged in my throat as I helplessly watched them fight. Jeff dodged the attack effortlessly and swung his blade towards Ruvel's face. It was so quick that if I had blinked I would have missed the movement. A flash of steel and splatter of blood stained the mushy snow that was on the sidewalk. I gasped loudly and covered my mouth.

Ruvel grunted angrily and swung his foot out, kicking Jeff in the stomach. He grunted and fell into the snow, quickly rolling back onto his feet. He started to laugh manically. Ruvel lunged at him again and swung his dagger. Jeff dodged again, swinging his knife at Ruvel. I watched them, entranced as they fought; it was almost graceful as they out-maneuvered each other and blocked each attack with the occasional _clank_ of metal from their blades' contact. It was like a well-rehearsed dance. It was as if they had fought each other many times before.

Ruvel grunted as Jeff's fist made contact with his cheek, and he fell to one knee in a daze. I gasped and started to move towards him.

"Liu… run!" he commanded as Jeff started laughing again. I looked at Ruvel's face; it was bruised and there was a bleeding gash on his cheek. I frowned as Jeff continued to laugh. I didn't move.

"Awwww, poor Ruvel. seems like you're losing your touch." Jeff said mockingly. I stepped forward and stood between them, crossing my arms and facing Jeff. Jeff immediately stopped laughing.

"Liu… what are you doing?!" Ruvel asked, grabbing my arm. I didn't respond.

"Jeffery Woods! Stop fighting with him this instant!" I scolded harshly, frowning at him. He stared at me, his smile gone. We stared each other down for a long moment, the silence growing heavy.

"…Fuck." He sighed, sliding his knife back into his pocket. I sighed and smiled, relaxing my shoulders, surprising myself at the tension I wasn't aware I was holding. I bent down and picked up the scarf, gently wiping it off.

"You shouldn't be so mean to my friends." I said softly, giving him a gentle smile. He looked at me, his eyes slowly lightening to its icy blue color and smirked.

"It ain't my fault Liu, he started it. He took what's mine." His eyes flashed to Ruvel, who had a stunned, incredulous look on his face as he slowly rose to his feet. He still held his dagger tightly.

"Liu…" he breathed. I turned to him and looked down.

"How…. Why? I-I don't understand…" I didn't answer. I couldn't even look him in the eye. Oh what can I say? What do I do? I felt the hot tears well in my eyes.

"Liu…" he said my name again. Oh god, please don't let me cry…

"LIU! Answer me!" he shouted angrily. I flinched and looked up at him, the tears falling of their own accord.

"I… I…" I choked out. He had a look I've never seen before; one of pure rage and hatred. I felt the daggers pierce my heart as I turned away and ran. I kept running until I made it home, ignoring the voices shouting my name.


	34. Conflict And Jeff's Epihany

_"__Liu!" I shouted as she ran away. I started to follow her, but was held back. I turned, shoving Ruvel's hand off of my shoulder._

_ "__Get the fuck off of me!" I growled, beyond pissed. Of all the people that could fuck things up, it had to be this bastard._

_ "__What the fuck is going on Jeff? What did you do to Liu?!" _

_I swung my knife at Ruvel angrily, who, with his skill dodged me by an inch. I continued to swing at him, every deflection and dodge getting me angrier and angrier, until I was blind with rage. How dare he?! HOW DARE HE FUCK THIS UP FOR ME?! _

_I want his blood. _

_I will stain the snow with his blood._

_ "__Jeff!" Ruvel cried, but I barely registered it as I continued to slash at him. Why. Cant. I. FUCKING. END. HIM?!_

_Suddenly, I was slammed to the ground, my arm twisted painfully behind my back and a vice grip on my neck. I struggled, trying to buck Ruvel off of my back, but he had me completely pinned, using all of his weight and strength on me. I cursed, trying to get him off of me, dislocating my shoulder in the process, but he would not relent. Mother fucker!_

_ "__JEFF! Will… you just fucking listen to me!?" he grunted, struggling to keep me subdued. I breathed heavily, the pain of my dislocated shoulder starting to register as I stopped struggling, admitting defeat. We stood silent, catching our breath._

_ "__Well?" _

_ "__Well what? Fucker…" I sneered, earning a sharp pull on my injured arm._

_ "__What are you doing with Liuienna? Why… just, why?Why Her?!" he shouted. I've never seen Ol' Ruvel lose his composure like this… maybe…_

_ "__Aww… did I steal your girl Ruvy? Hahahaha! Y'mad that I get to taste that sweet- aaaah!" I teased, then cried out as a sharp pain ran up my injured arm from the force of his grip as he pulled my arm higher up my back. _

_ "__Don't fuck with me, Jeff. What is going on? why are you with her? What is in it for you?!" he growled. I snorted, although it gave me something to think about._

_What is in it for me? what is it about Liu that makes me want to have her in my life? She is outstandingly beautiful, talented and small. Her touch makes me hot and warm, and seeing her… makes the madness in my mind disappear. I feel… normal. I like myself the way that I am, but I can just relax with her, drop my guard and just enjoy myself; similar to how I feel when I kill, only more freeing. It made me feel like I was a kid again, before everything when to shit._

_ "__ANSWER ME!" he demanded. I turned my head to look at him._

_ "__She quiets the voices." I said softly, overwhelmed at the realization._

_His eyes widened. "What?" he released my arm and I sat up to face him._

_ "__When I'm with her, I feel normal. No rage, no voices, no violent urges. Just peace. It… was unsettling and confusing at first… but the more I spend time with her… the more I get used to forgetting that I'm fucked in the head." It was disgusting and degrading to admit it, but this epiphany hit me so hard. It wasn't just possessiveness of a pretty new toy… hell, I can't even think of her as that, no matter how hard I try to delude myself. I am infatuated with her, and she loves me. I don't know love, but if never wanting to see the person in question unhappy and hurt, and see them smiling is a part of it, then maybe I am in love. When she told me she loved me today, I felt an overwhelming joy. It almost made me vomit, how hard it hit me. But I couldn't stop the feeling of joy and if there weren't a fence between us at that moment, I would have taken her and fucked her senseless, filling her with my joy. My sweet little doll screaming as I ram my dick her, making her throb and shake with pleasure... delicious._

_ "__Hey!" Ruvel said, snapping his fingers in front of my face, breaking my thoughts, which were turning lewd. I shook my head and pushed myself to my feet._

_ "__Well, fuck…" I pulled a cigarette out of my pocket with my good arm, lit it and turned away, my thoughts roaming back to my sexy little doll._

_Ruvel grabbed my arm. "We're not done yet."_

_ "__Yeah we are." I pulled my arm away. "I'm going back to see her. You fucked up my chance to just have a taste of a normal date. So fuck you very much and good night, you two face fuck-trumpet." I started walking away. I took a drag and walked down the street, ignoring the sound of boots tapping behind me. fucking shit, can't he just..._

_ "__Fuck off…" I growled, not bothering to look at him. I grabbed my dislocated arm and tried to pop it back into place, ignoring Ruvel's annoyingness. _

_Suddenly my arm was grabbed and sharply pulled back, painfully popped back in to place._

_ "__Fucking shit!" I cried out angrily and shot a murderous look at Ruvel, who smirked smugly at me._

_ "__Better?"_

_ "__Fuck off."_

_Ruvel laughed darkly. "Oh no, you aren't off the hook yet. I need to know what the fuck is going on between you and Liu, and I want to hear it from her."_

_I rolled my eyes and continued walking. Not even going to both on this; if answers will get him to leave me alone with Liu, then why the fuck not? But if he makes her cry, I will fucking cut his heart out._

)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(

I slammed my bed room door, breathing heavily, fighting the tears that threatened to spill over. Why did Ruvel show up?! I was enjoying my time with Jeff, then all hell broke loose. I was so confused. Why was Ruvel there? And why does he know Jeff? It's so unbelievable that Ruvel, so sweet and mature, knows Jeff, psychotic and yet so gentle. I've never seen Ruvel look like that, nor have I ever seen him move like that! it confused me and scared me, and Jeff… he scared me too. I was scared he was going to kill Ruvel, and his laugh and movement were terrifying. It was like it finally hit me that Jeff is really a serial killer, and it took me to see him attack my friend for it to really sink it. I slid down my door, sitting hard on the floor. I don't know what to do…

My head shot up, hearing a knocking on my window. Jeff and Ruvel were standing outside, both looking sheepish, although Jeff had a smirk as well. I stood slowly and opened the window.

"Liu..." Ruvel said softly and apologetically, easing my feelings of guilt.

"We need to talk."


	35. Ruvel's Memory

We sat in silence. I was holding my cup of tea in my hand; Ruvel was sipping his cup calmly and Jeff chewed methodically on a cookie, but his twitching leg gave away his increasing impatience. We were in the kitchen, sitting at the island, the silence growing more and more stifling. My eyes flicked between the both of them, and I began to grow nervous.

"So…" Ruvel broke the silence, calmly setting his cup down. Jeff stopped eating his cookie and looked at him, staring daggers. He was still mad, it seems.

"Where to begin?" He said thoughtfully. I frowned softly.

"From the beginning, Ruvel" I said softly. I wanted clarity, and I wanted it now. I hate the feeling of confusion, and if these two knew each other on some intimate level, I want to know about it. He stared at me thoughtfully for a moment, then took a sip from his cup.

"I guess it started near the end of middle school…"

_I slammed my locker door with more aggression then I intended, turning to Arlen. He's been my best friend ever since my dad and I moved here three years ago. He can be so damn annoying, but he means well and likes to hang with me, despite my hideous temper. _

_He was leaning on his locker, a smartass and devious smile on his lips. I smirked, already working out in my mind what kind of scheme he was planning, but I didn't say anything._

_ "__So, Ruvy, can you guess what brilliant plan yours truly has come up with now to make some extra scratch?" he said. I rolled my eyes._

_ "__Do I even care, Len?" I said monotonously as he slung his arm around my shoulder._

_ "__Of course you do! We need to make some kind of income now, before we get our band together and become famous!" I rolled my eyes again and let out a loaded sigh._

_ "__Fine… what is your grand idea?" I had a feeling that I was going to regret this._

_He smiled at me "Babysitting Service."_

_Instant. Fucking. Regret. "No."_

_ "__Ahh! But why not? You babysit my sister all the time! For free no less! We could make a lot of money if we can work together and babysit the neighborhood brats for like… ten bucks an hour?" he smirked and I just shook my head._

_ "…__Len, you don't have a good track record in the neighborhood, your prank on Mrs. McGilly and her poor cat last year solidified your status as a deviant. No one will hire you." I pointed out. He sighed._

_ "__Facts, but I don't think- oh hey Janey!" he said to a pretty girl with long black hair, large brown eyes and a pale, gentle smile. She held her text books in her arms and smiled at us as she shut her locker._

_ "__Hi Arlen, Ruvel," she said softly, looking down shyly. "How are you guys today?"_

_I shrugged, but Arlen answered her chipperly, "I'm great! What's new with you?"_

_She walked beside us, accompanying us to the cafeteria. "Ah, well there are two new kids that came into my class. Twins. They seem pretty cool." _

_ "__Are they cute?" Arlen asked. I rolled my eyes._

_ "__Well I think so, but they're guys so…" she said with a giggle and Arlen's face flushed._

_ "__Crap, well never mind then." _

_ "__Why would you assume they were girls, Len?" I chuckled and he slugged my arm, refusing to answer._

_As we reached the cafeteria, we said our goodbyes to Jane as we went off with her friends. I then turned and made my way to the outer eating area. _

_ "__Ruvel, where are you going? It's cold out there!" I turned to him._

_ "__I'm going to have a smoke, I'll see you later." I turned away._

_ "__Don't get caught!" I heard my best friend call after me as I raised my hand and waved him off. I reached into my trench coat's inner pocket and pulled out a slightly crushed pack of clove cigarettes and matches as I stepped out the doors into the brisk late winter air. I made my way to the other side of the wall, where the trash bins were. No one would catch me there._

_A few minutes later I was inhaling the sweet scent of my cigarette in peace, closing my eyes and enjoying the blissful quiet of the mid-afternoon air. I was so relaxed that I almost didn't notice the voices that sounded from around the corner. They were mocking and one very familiar voice sounded distressed. I peeked around the corner and saw the school's bullies, Randy, Keith and Troy surround and intimidate a small figure dressed in a ruffled dress and a white fuzzy jacket with matching hat and mittens. She was holding onto patterned lunch bag tightly to her small form._

_ "__No! I'm not giving it to you boneheads!" the little girls voice rang out, causing me to step out from my corner. Randy, the largest of the three forcefully grabbed the bag from her hands and shoved her to the ground. The three of them laughed at her mockingly. I felt my blood boil as I stubbed my cigarette. But before I could even make another move, a couple of unfamiliar voices rang out. _

_ "__Hey!" Two identical boys, both tall and slender, with shoulder length brown hair and pale peach skin, walked out and rushed over to the bullies. Curious, I leaned against the wall and watched them._

_ "__What are you assholes doing?" one of them said as the other pushed past them and knelt down next to the now crying girl. Randy and his group turned to him. _

_ "__Well, if it ain't the new kids again. I see you little shits still have some serious balls to face me again. I haven't thanked you for the new wounds." He said maliciously. It was then that I noticed Randy had a broken nose and a black eye, Keith wore a sling and Troy was bruised and had a slight limp. I smirked. 'So these new guys had balls, huh?'_

_ "__Yeah, want me to fucking renew them?" the one standing said. I couldn't see his face but something about how he stood sounded off alarms in my head. This kid… was dangerous. A ticking time bomb ready to implode. I pushed off the wall and made my way to them slowly. _

_ "__Jeff!" the one kneeling shouted out and instantly, the one called Jeff seemed to relax, although he was still guarded. The other brother threw a brown paper bag at Randy's feet._

_ "__Here! Take mine, and give her back her lunch. We don't want any more trouble." He said, his green eyes flicking between his brother and Randy. It was deathly silent for a moment, then Jeff sighed and threw his lunch bag at Randy._

_ "__Take mine too. You look like a fag with that girl's bag anyway." He said though gritted teeth, his fist slowly beginning to unclench. Randy laughed and dropped the patterned bag. _

_ "__Thanks, you pussies. But I better not see you," he said pointedly at Jeff, "Again, or else I'll really fuck you up." He shoved past his and walked away, laughing with his cronies. I paused, watching them wearily. Jeff seemed to visibly relax as he picked up the bag and knelt next to his brother._

_ "__Here, kid." He said to her, as her crying began to calm down. She took the bag timidly and smiled up at the boys._

_ "__Thank you. That guy is a big bonehead! Don't let him get to you!" she said, causing both boys to laugh. The sat with her, trying to be friendly._

_ "__I'm Liu, and this is my brother Jeff. What's your name?" Liu said with a smile. I tilted my head as I watched them. It seems that Liu is the more passive brother._

_ "__My name is Liuie. Why do you guys look the same? Are you guys… clones?" she whispered the last part, her hazel eyes wide with wonder. Jeff laughed._

_ "__Kind of. We're twins. We're brothers that just look alike."_

_ "__Ohh…" she said. She then dug into her bag and pulled out two muffins wrapped in cellophane. She handed one to each brother. "Here, since that big dummy took your lunch, you can have the muffins that my mama and I made this morning. They're really yummy!" she smiled and then stood up. She kissed each brother on the cheek and giggled, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I gotta go find my big brother now. Thank you for saving me! See you later Liu, Jeff!" she then ran off indoors. _

_I smiled, then sauntered over to the brothers. "Congrats, boys, not only did you manage to piss off the biggest arses in the school, but befriend the sweetest girl in the school. What an accomplishment." I said, placing a new cigarette in my mouth. The brothers looked up at me and I smiled. "Nice to meet you. I'm Ruvel."_

_)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(_

_I sat, feeling solemn. I was in Len's house, Liu on my lap, sleeping. I was baby-sitting her tonight. I was watching the news, thinking about the events of the past few months. I had befriended the Woods brothers, and it was an enjoyable time. They were intriguing and kind of fun. Liu liked them as well. She called them the clone brothers and always chatted with them whenever she saw them in school. But the past few weeks had become strained. Randy, now fully healed from his wounds and with a revived vigor, began to torment the brothers more than anyone else in the school. And just a few weeks ago, at a birthday party… I shuddered. I couldn't even think it. Liu Woods had been locked up due to an unbeknownst investigation of the altercation that the Woods Brothers and Randy and his gang had gotten into previously, where two kids got stabbed. Jeff was alone and went to a birthday party that was held a neighborhood away. One of Liu's little friends was having a party and had gone there, with Jane babysitting, since Len and I had detention that weekend for another on of Len's pranks gone wrong. Had I been there, Randy and his group wouldn't have ever set foot at that party. Had I been there, I could have prevented the violence that had caused Liu to fall and get injured, causing memory loss. Had I been there, I could have saved Jeff._

_I looked at cute little Liu. She was so small, even at eleven years of age, she looked to be six. And me, at fifteen, looking almost twenty. I brushed her hair out of her face. I smiled as I looked at this angel. She will grow to be so beautiful…. I shook my head. I adored her, but she's my best friend's sister. I couldn't…_

_A sound of breaking glass caught my attention. Shifting Liu to one arm, I pulled out my favorite silver dagger from my boot and held her protectively. I strained my ears to hear even the smallest sound. From behind me I heard heavy breathing and boots stomping on broken glass. I stood up and turned, holding my knife aloft at the intruder, only to freeze at the horror I beheld._

_I first noticed he was covered in blood, the smell alone made my stomach turn. Then his skin, bleach white and pock marked with healing burns. Then, oh god, his face! a freshly carved smiled in his cheeks, still dribbling with blood, and his eyes, blackened from the very burns he suffered. They were wide, making him look as if he has no eyelids at all. His hair was lanky and black as well. I stepped back, holding Liu protectively. His breath was ragged, as if he'd been running for miles. _

_I stood tense, neither of us making a move. Then he spoke, and what he said made my blood run cold._

_ "__Ruvel… hahaaha… Ruuuuvy… I… I did something wonderful… help…me…." he dropped to his knees, tears sliding down his face. I pitied him and was disgusted. I lowered my knife and nodded, my only thought was to protect the girl I loved…_

"…and after I was able to put you to bed, I took Jeff to my home to hide him as he healed. I had found out what he had done, and what had happened. He left a few days later, completely disappearing, or so I thought. For the last several years, whenever he was severely injured, or sought asylum from pursuing authorities, he came to me. I couldn't tell him no, in order to protect you and our friends. Since I am the only one who can fuck him up if he ever dared to lay a hand on you or Len." Ruvel's amber eyes hardened at he stared Jeff down, gripping his now empty tea cup. Jeff laughed mockingly.

"As if you could, Ruvy. But don't worry, I have no intention to hurt her." I could feel their eyes on me, but I couldn't move. It was all coming back to me, like pieces of a long-forgotten puzzle. That's right. I did know Jeff and Liu before. It was the first time I ever met a pair of identical twins… and I remember the party. But barely.

"I… I knew you." I looked up at Jeff, tears welling in my eyes. His gaze softened and he nodded.

"It seems so. Ruvel said you had gotten hurt at that party, which caused some memory loss. So I'm not surprised you didn't remember me. To be honest, I don't remember much from before that night. I guess after I snapped, a lot of my memory was suppressed. I do remember you, Liu. But… I didn't know it was you when we met that day at the cemetery. I figured I had killed you long ago, and forgot about you. But I can remember even then, as kids, I loved you."


End file.
